Shloka 2
कर्णपरर्वणि त्रयोचत्वारिंशदध्यायः (Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 43) — Kṛṣṇa’s Battlefield Assessment and the Reversal Around Bhīma
संजय उवाच तथा ब्रुवन्तं परुषं कर्णो मद्राधिपं तदा । परुषं द्विगुणं भूय: प्रोवाचाप्रियदर्शनम्,संजय कहते हैं--राजन्! ऐसी कठोर बात बोलते हुए मद्रराज शल्यसे कर्णने पुनः दूनी कठोरता लिये अप्रिय वचन कहना आरम्भ किया
sañjaya uvāca tathā bruvantaṃ paruṣaṃ karṇo madrādhipaṃ tadā | paruṣaṃ dviguṇaṃ bhūyaḥ provācāpriyadarśanam ||
Sañjaya dijo: «Oh rey, mientras Śalya, señor de Madra, pronunciaba palabras tan ásperas, Karṇa —cuyo semblante en aquel instante se tornó desagradable— respondió de nuevo con un habla dos veces más dura. Este intercambio muestra cómo la ira y el orgullo herido, cuando se les da rienda suelta, escalan pronto hacia una crueldad mayor, oscureciendo el juicio en la víspera de la batalla.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical danger of retaliatory speech: harsh words invite harsher replies, multiplying hostility. It implicitly warns that self-control (especially in speech) is crucial for right judgment and dharmic conduct, particularly in high-stakes situations like war.
Shalya, the king of Madra, has spoken harshly; Karna responds again, but with doubled harshness. Sanjaya reports this to the king, marking the intensifying tension between Karna and his charioteer Shalya during the war narrative.