Shloka 6
Śikhaṇḍin’s Transformation, Daśārṇa Verification, and Kubera’s Conditional Curse
Udyoga Parva 193
तथा दिव्यास्त्रवित् कर्ण: सम्पृष्ट: कुरुसंसदि । पज्चभिर्दिवसैहन्तुं ससैन्यं प्रतिजज्ञिवान्
tathā divyāstravit karṇaḥ sampṛṣṭaḥ kurusaṃsadi | pañcabhir divasair hantuṃ sasainyaṃ pratijajñivān ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “So too Karṇa, the knower of celestial weapons—when questioned in the Kuru assembly—vowed that within only five days he would destroy our army along with all its forces.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Public vows in a royal assembly are not mere words; they bind reputation and duty, and can intensify violence by turning personal honor into a commitment to destruction—raising ethical questions about pride, responsibility, and the escalation of war.
Yudhiṣṭhira reports that Karṇa, famed for mastery of divine weapons, was questioned in the Kaurava court and declared a pledge to annihilate the opposing army within five days, signaling confidence and threatening swift devastation.