Shloka 41
कर्णेन व्यूहविधानम् — Karṇa’s Battle Formation and the Pāṇḍava Counter-Plan
Adhyāya 31
कस्माद् युनड्धक्षि सारथ्ये नीचस्याधिरथे रणे । नरेश्वर! इस प्रकार शत्रुओंका दमन करनेमें पूर्णतया समर्थ होनेपर भी तुम मुझे इस नीच सूतपुत्र कर्णके सारथिके कामपर कैसे नियुक्त कर रहे हो? || ४० $ ।। न मामधुरि राजेन्द्र नियोक्तुं त्वमिहाहसि
śalya uvāca | kasmād yunodhakṣi sārathye nīcasyādhirathe raṇe | nareśvara! śatrūṇāṃ damane pūrṇatayā samartho 'pi tvaṃ māṃ nīca-sūtaputra-karṇasya sārathi-kārye kathaṃ niyojayasi || na mām adhuri rājendra niyoktuṃ tvam ihārhasi ||
Śalya dijo: «¿Por qué me unces al oficio de auriga en la batalla para un guerrero de carro de baja cuna? ¡Oh rey de los hombres! Aunque eres plenamente capaz de aplastar al enemigo, ¿cómo puedes nombrarme para servir como auriga de Karṇa, ese vil hijo de un sūta? ¡Oh el mejor de los reyes! No eres digno de mandarme en este asunto».
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between royal command and personal honor: Śalya resists an assignment he deems degrading, revealing how pride and social prejudice can distort dharma and relationships even amid a common war effort.
Śalya addresses the Kaurava king (contextually Duryodhana), protesting that he is being made Karṇa’s charioteer. He disparages Karṇa as a ‘sūta’s son’ and argues that the king, being capable himself, should not compel Śalya into what he considers an unworthy service role.