Shloka 4
कर्णवधोत्तरं शल्य-दुर्योधनसंवादः
Aftermath of Karṇa’s Fall: Śalya’s Address to Duryodhana
यत् तद् वाक्यं द्वैतवने त्वयोक्तं कर्ण हन्तास्म्येकरथेन सत्यम् । त्यक्त्वा तं वै कथमद्यापयात: कर्णाद् भीतो भीमसेनं विहाय
yat tad vākyaṃ dvaitavane tvayoktaṃ karṇa hantāsmy ekarathena satyam | tyaktvā taṃ vai katham adyāpayātaḥ karṇād bhīto bhīmasenaṃ vihāya
Sañjaya said: “Karna, that statement you once made in the Dvaitavana—‘Truly, from my lone chariot I shall fight and slay Bhīmasena single-handed’—how has it come to pass today that you have abandoned that resolve and withdrawn, leaving Bhīmasena behind, as though afraid of Karṇa?”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of one’s declared resolve: a warrior’s public vow and self-assertion are not mere words but a commitment tied to honor and responsibility. It implicitly critiques inconsistency between past boasts and present conduct, especially in the moral pressure-cooker of war.
Sañjaya recalls Karna’s earlier claim made in the Dvaitavana forest that he would kill Bhīmasena alone. He then questions Karna’s present withdrawal—why Karna has retreated and left Bhīmasena, suggesting that Karna’s retreat appears motivated by fear or avoidance, contrary to his earlier declaration.