Shloka 26
Karṇa’s Counsel on Śrī
Fortune) and the Proposed Display before the Exiled Pāṇḍavas (कर्णवचनम् / श्रीप्रदर्शन-प्रस्तावः
द्वाभ्यां भुजाभ्यां बलवान् गृहीत्वा शड्खमुत्तमम् । प्राध्यापयत भूतानां त्रासनं बलिनामपि,तत्पश्चात् उन बलवान वीरने दोनों हाथोंमें उत्तम शंख लेकर बजाया, जो बलवान् प्राणियोंको भी भयभीत कर देनेवाला था
dvābhyāṁ bhujābhyāṁ balavān gṛhītvā śaṅkham uttamam | prādhyāpayata bhūtānāṁ trāsanaṁ balinām api ||
Mārkaṇḍeya said: Then that mighty hero, grasping an excellent conch with both arms, blew it with force—its sound so terrifying that it struck fear even into powerful beings. The episode shows how sheer strength, when displayed, can unsettle others and alter a scene’s moral atmosphere, demanding restraint and right intention (dharma) from the strong.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical responsibility that accompanies strength: displays of power can intimidate even the powerful, so dharma requires that force and signals of dominance be governed by right purpose and restraint.
Markandeya describes a mighty hero taking an excellent conch in both hands and blowing it so loudly that its sound terrifies beings around, functioning as a dramatic signal of presence, challenge, or impending action.