Shloka 40
Adhyāya 36: Ghora-yuddha-varṇanam
A Clinical Description of the Intensified Engagement
इदमपरमुपस्थितं पुन- स्तव निधनाय सुयुद्धमद्य वै | यदि न रिपुभयात् पलायसे समरगतोडद्य हतोडसि सूतज,सूतपुत्र! अब आज तुम्हारे वधके लिये पुनः यह दूसरा उत्तम युद्ध उपस्थित हुआ है। यदि तुम शत्रुके भयसे भाग नहीं गये तो समरांगणमें पहुँचकर अवश्य मारे जाओगे
idam aparam upasthitaṃ punaḥ tava nidhanāya su-yuddham adya vai | yadi na ripu-bhayāt palāyase samara-gato 'dya hata 'si sūta-ja, sūta-putra ||
Śalya said: “Once again, today, another excellent battle has presented itself—meant for your destruction. If you do not flee out of fear of the enemy, then upon entering the battlefield today you will surely be slain, O charioteer-born, O son of a charioteer.”
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how speech can be used as psychological warfare: Shalya frames the coming combat as inevitable death for Karna and taunts him with social labels (“sūta-ja, sūta-putra”). Ethically, it warns that in war, words can wound and destabilize dharma by provoking anger, pride, and rash action.
On the battlefield, Shalya addresses Karna directly, declaring that another decisive fight has arrived specifically for Karna’s destruction. He challenges Karna not to flee from fear and predicts that if Karna enters the fray, he will be killed that very day.