Shloka 158
कर्णेन युधिष्ठिरानीकविदारणम् / Karṇa’s Breach of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Battle-Line
वृजिनं हि भवेत् किंचिद् यदि कर्णस्य पार्थिव
vṛjinaṃ hi bhavet kiñcid yadi karṇasya pārthiva
O king, if there were even the slightest misfortune or moral blemish to befall Karṇa, it would be a grievous matter—showing how heavily the Kauravas’ cause rests upon him, and how anxious Duryodhana is for the fate of his chief support in war.
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The line highlights the ethical and strategic danger of over-reliance on a single champion: when a cause is propped up by one person’s strength, the leader’s fear of that person’s misfortune becomes intense, revealing insecurity and the fragility of adharma-based confidence.
Duryodhana addresses the king (pārthiva) and expresses apprehension that even a small calamity affecting Karṇa would be disastrous, underscoring Karṇa’s central role for the Kauravas in the ongoing battle.