Shloka 643
तस्य सर्वस्य दुष्टात्मा कर्णो वै मूलमित्युत । “निष्पाप अर्जुन! रात्रिके समय पुत्रसहित तुम्हारी माता कुन्तीको जला देने और तुम सब लोगोंके साथ जूआ खेलनेके कार्यमें जो दुर्योधनकी प्रवृत्ति हुई थी, उन सब षड़्यन्त्रोंका मूल कारण यह दुष्टात्मा कर्ण ही था
tasya sarvasya duṣṭātmā karṇo vai mūlam ity uta |
Sanjaya said: “Of all those misdeeds, Karna—of wicked intent—was indeed the root cause.” In the light of dharma, the verse lays the chief moral burden of a chain of conspiracies upon Karna, portraying him not as a mere accomplice but as the driving source behind acts that violated righteousness and struck at the innocent.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights moral causality and responsibility: sustained wrongdoing often has instigators, and identifying the ‘root’ emphasizes accountability for initiating and fueling adharma, not merely participating in it.
Sanjaya, narrating events and their moral background, states that among the various wrongful schemes attributed to the Kaurava side, Karna is to be regarded as the principal source or instigator.