Shloka 193
Gaṅgā-tīra Udaka-kriyā and Kuntī’s Disclosure of Karṇa’s Maternity
Strī-parva, Adhyāya 27
नान्य: कुन्तीसुतात् कर्णादगृह्नाद् रथिनां रथी | “कुन्तीपुत्र कर्णके सिवा दूसरा कोई रथी ऐसा बड़ा बलवान् नहीं हुआ है, जिसने समस्त राजाओंकी सेनाको रोक दिया हो
nānyaḥ kuntīsutāt karṇād agṛhṇād rathināṃ rathī |
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: No other great chariot-warrior among chariot-fighters, apart from Karṇa—the son of Kuntī—was capable of checking and holding back the onrush of the chariot-hosts. The statement underscores Karṇa’s singular martial prowess and the tragic irony that such power was spent in a fratricidal war.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Extraordinary strength and skill can coexist with moral tragedy: Karṇa’s unmatched prowess is acknowledged, yet it is framed within the sorrowful aftermath of a war where kin fought kin, inviting reflection on how power is used and at what cost.
In the lament-filled context of the Strī Parva, Vaiśaṃpāyana recalls and emphasizes Karṇa’s battlefield capability, stating that no other chariot-warrior could restrain opposing forces as he did—highlighting his singular role in the war’s violence and its consequences.