Shloka 11
युधिष्ठिरस्य धनंजय-प्रति गर्हा
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Reproach to Dhanaṃjaya
कर्ण कर्ण वृथादृष्टे सूतपुत्र वच: शृणु । सदा स्पर्थसि संग्रामे फाल्गुनेन तरस्विना
karṇa karṇa vṛthādṛṣṭe sūtaputra vacaḥ śṛṇu | sadā spardhasi saṅgrāme phālgunena tarasvinā ||
Sañjaya said: “O Karṇa—Karṇa! You whose vision is wasted in vain, O son of a charioteer, listen to my words. Again and again you challenge in battle the mighty Phālguna (Arjuna), driven by sheer force and prowess.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a moral warning against prideful, repetitive rivalry: Sanjaya urges Karna to heed counsel and recognize the danger of continually provoking a superior opponent, implying that clear judgment and humility are essential even in a warrior’s duty.
Sanjaya addresses Karna directly, calling him “sūtaputra” and “vṛthādṛṣṭi,” and admonishes him for repeatedly seeking combat with the powerful Phālguna (Arjuna), setting a tone of caution and critique amid the ongoing war narrative.