Shloka 21
Nārada’s Account of the Kaliṅga Svayaṃvara: Duryodhana’s Seizure and Karṇa’s Escort
दुर्योधनस्तु कर्णेन पाल्यमानो5भ्ययात् तदा । हृष्ट: कन्यामुपादाय नगरं नागसाह्दयम्,दुर्योधन कर्णसे सुरक्षित हो राजकन्याको साथ लिये राजी-खुशी हस्तिनापुर वापस आ गया
duryodhanas tu karṇena pālyamāno 'bhyayāt tadā | hṛṣṭaḥ kanyām upādāya nagaraṃ nāgasāhvayam ||
Nārada said: At that time Duryodhana, protected and upheld by Karṇa, set out and returned. Rejoicing, he took the princess with him and went back to the city called Nāgasāhvaya (Hastināpura). The verse shows how power and protection can embolden a ruler, and how the taking of a maiden becomes morally charged when driven by triumph rather than by dharma.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse implicitly cautions that when a ruler acts under the shield of powerful allies, joy and confidence can turn into moral blindness. The act of taking a princess is narrated with Duryodhana’s exultation, inviting reflection on whether such triumph aligns with dharma and rightful conduct.
Nārada reports that Duryodhana, backed by Karṇa’s protection, departs and returns happily to Nāgasāhvaya (Hastināpura), bringing a princess with him—an episode framed as a politically and ethically significant seizure/bringing of a royal maiden.