Shloka 22
Karna Reproves Shalya; Brahmin Reports on Bāhlīkas; Shalya’s Universalizing Rebuttal (कर्ण–शल्य संवादः)
कर्णमाश्रित्य संग्रामे मन््दो दुर्योधन: पुनः । जेतुमुत्सहते पार्थान् सपुत्रान सहकेशवान्
karṇam āśritya saṅgrāme mando duryodhanaḥ punaḥ | jetum utsahate pārthān saputrān saha-keśavān ||
Dijo Sañjaya: En medio de la batalla, el torpe Duryodhana, tomando refugio en Karṇa una vez más, se mostró ansioso por vencer a los Pāṇḍavas—junto con sus hijos—e incluso a Keśava (Kṛṣṇa). El verso subraya cómo la soberbia y la dependencia extraviada de la fuerza marcial pueden eclipsar el discernimiento y el juicio ético en la guerra.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical danger of moha (delusion) and overconfidence in war: Duryodhana’s renewed zeal arises not from right judgment but from dependence on Karṇa’s prowess, even imagining victory over the Pāṇḍavas along with Kṛṣṇa—an emblem of dharma and wise counsel.
Sañjaya reports that Duryodhana, encouraged by Karṇa’s support, regains confidence on the battlefield and resolves again to defeat the Pāṇḍavas, including their sons, and Keśava (Kṛṣṇa) who stands with them.