Shloka 20
कर्णेन युधिष्ठिरानीकविदारणम् / Karṇa’s Breach of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Battle-Line
मन्दर: पर्वतश्नाक्षो जड्घा तस्य महानदी
Mandaraḥ parvataśnākṣo jaḍghā tasya mahānadī.
Duryodhana dice: «Mandara es su hombro, como una montaña; su muslo es un río inmenso». En este marco marcial, el orador recurre a imágenes grandiosas de la naturaleza para engrandecer la fuerza del guerrero, convirtiendo el cuerpo humano en un paisaje de poder—un recordatorio ético de cómo el lenguaje de la guerra suele glorificar la fuerza y el vigor físico para inspirar confianza y lealtad.
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse illustrates how epic war rhetoric elevates a warrior by comparing his body to immense natural forms (mountain, river), showing the persuasive power of praise in sustaining morale and allegiance—while also hinting at the ethical tension of glorifying sheer strength in a destructive conflict.
Duryodhana is describing (and extolling) a warrior’s formidable physique through metaphors: a shoulder like the Mandara mountain and a thigh like a great river, as part of a broader effort to inspire confidence in battle.