Shloka 36
कर्णेन सैन्यस्थापनं तथा नानायुद्धसमवायः
Karna Reforms the Host and Multiple Duels Converge
सर्वज्ञा यवना राजन शूराश्वैव विशेषत: । म्लेच्छा: स्वसंज्ञानियता नानुक्तमितरे जना:
sarvajñā yavanā rājan śūrāśvaiva viśeṣataḥ | mlecchāḥ svasamjñāniyatā nānuktam itare janāḥ ||
Karna dijo: «Oh rey, a los Yavanas se los tiene por omniscientes—en especial a los Śūrāśvas. También los Mlecchas se reconocen por sus propias señales y costumbres distintivas; pero a los demás pueblos no se los identifica con facilidad, a menos que se los describa explícitamente.»
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how social groups are recognized: some communities are perceived as having well-known, distinctive traits, while others require explicit description to be properly identified. It underscores the importance of clear speech and accurate characterization in counsel and judgment.
Karna is speaking to a king and makes an observation about different peoples—Yavanas (especially the Śūrāśvas) and Mlecchas—emphasizing their recognizability, while noting that other groups are not easily identified without being specifically described.