Shloka 32
कर्णभीमसमागमः | Karṇa–Bhīma Encounter
सारथ्यस्याभ्युपगमाच्छल्येनाश्चवासितस्तदा । दुर्योधनस्तदा हृष्ट: कर्ण तमभिषस्वजे,सारथ्य स्वीकार करके जब शल्यने आश्वासन दिया, तब राजा दुर्योधनने बड़े हर्षके साथ कर्णको हृदयसे लगा लिया
sārathyasyābhyupagamāc chalyenāś cāvāsitas tadā | duryodhanas tadā hṛṣṭaḥ karṇa tam abhiṣasvaje ||
Sañjaya said: When Śalya agreed to take up the role of charioteer and gave his assurance, King Duryodhana, filled with delight, embraced Karṇa warmly—showing how, amid war, alliances and promises become moral leverage as much as strategic support.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how commitments in war—such as accepting a crucial role and giving assurance—carry ethical weight: trust and loyalty can bind leaders and warriors, yet such bonds may also entangle them in choices that strain dharma.
Śalya agrees to serve as Karṇa’s charioteer and reassures Duryodhana; pleased by this strategic gain, Duryodhana joyfully embraces Karṇa, affirming their alliance before the coming battle.