Shloka 61
कर्णेन युधिष्ठिरानीकविदारणम् / Karṇa’s Breach of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Battle-Line
स शोभमानो वरद: खड्गी बाणी शरासनी । हसन्निवाब्रवीद् देवान् सारथि: को भविष्यति,ब्रह्मर्षियोंद्वारा प्रशंसित, वन्दीजनोंद्वारा वन्दित तथा नाचती हुई नृत्य-कुशल अप्सराओंसे सुशोभित होते हुए वरदायक भगवान् शिव खड़्ग, बाण और धनुष ले देवताओंसे हँसते हुए-से बोले--'“मेरा सारथि कौन होगा?”
sa śobhamāno varadaḥ khaḍgī bāṇī śarāsanī | hasann ivābravīd devān sārathiḥ ko bhaviṣyati ||
Then the boon-giving Lord Śiva, resplendent—bearing a sword, arrows, and a bow—spoke to the gods with a smile, as if in playful challenge: ‘Who will become my charioteer?’
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the supremacy of the divine over even the gods and frames martial power as subordinate to cosmic authority. It cautions that war and prowess gain legitimacy only when grounded in higher order, not in ego or mere political desire.
Duryodhana narrates a scene in which Lord Śiva appears splendidly armed and, smiling, addresses the gods by asking who among them will serve as his charioteer—an image that emphasizes Śiva’s commanding presence and the gods’ attendant role.