Shloka 163
कर्णेन युधिष्ठिरानीकविदारणम् / Karṇa’s Breach of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Battle-Line
तथैव बुद्ध्या विहितं विश्वकर्मकृतं शुभम् । देवता बोले--देवेश्वर! हमलोग तीनों लोकोंके तेजकी सारी मात्राओंको एकत्र करके आपके लिये परम तेजस्वी रथका निर्माण करेंगे। विश्वकर्माका बुद्धिपूर्वक बनाया हुआ वह रथ बहुत ही सुन्दर होगा,वक्ष: पश्य विशालं च सर्वशत्रुनिबर्हणम् । न त्वेष प्राकृत: कश्रित् कर्णो वैकर्तनो वृष: । महात्मा होष राजेन्द्र रामशिष्य: प्रतापवान् राजेन्द्र! गजराजके शुण्डदण्डके समान जैसी इसकी मोटी भुजाएँ हैं तथा समस्त शत्रुओंका संहार करनेमें समर्थ जैसा इसका विशाल वक्ष:स्थल है, उससे सूचित होता है कि परशुरामजीका यह प्रतापी शिष्य महामनस्वी धर्मात्मा वैकर्तन कर्ण कोई प्राकृत पुरुष नहीं है
tathaiva buddhyā vihitaṃ viśvakarmakṛtaṃ śubham | vakṣaḥ paśya viśālaṃ ca sarvaśatrunibarhaṇam | na tveṣa prākṛtaḥ kaścit karṇo vaikartano vṛṣaḥ | mahātmā hoṣa rājendra rāmaśiṣyaḥ pratāpavān |
Duryodhana said: “So indeed—fashioned with deliberate skill, auspicious, and made by Viśvakarman—behold this chariot. Look at his broad chest, capable of crushing all enemies. This Karṇa, the bull among men, son of the charioteer (Vaikartana), is no ordinary person. O king, here stands that great-souled, mighty disciple of Rāma (Paraśurāma).”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames true worth as recognizable through signs of character and capability: Karṇa’s extraordinary strength and training are presented as evidence that he is not ‘ordinary.’ It also highlights how leaders use praise to confer legitimacy and morale in war—linking divine craftsmanship (Viśvakarman) and revered lineage of instruction (Paraśurāma) to ethical claims of merit and destiny.
Duryodhana is addressing a king (rājendra) and drawing attention to a splendid chariot said to be made by Viśvakarman, while simultaneously extolling Karṇa’s physique and prowess. He asserts that Karṇa—Paraśurāma’s disciple—is no common man and is fit to crush enemies in the impending battle.