Shloka 63
Karna Reproves Shalya; Brahmin Reports on Bāhlīkas; Shalya’s Universalizing Rebuttal (कर्ण–शल्य संवादः)
बाहुवीयें समो नास्ति मद्रराजस्य कश्चन । तथान्त्रे मत्समो नास्ति कश्रिदेव धनुर्धर:,बाहुबलमें मद्रराज शल्यकी समानता करनेवाला दूसरा कोई नहीं है। उसी प्रकार अस्त्रविद्यामें मेरे समान कोई भी धनुर्धर नहीं है
bāhuvīrye samo nāsti madrarājasya kaścana | tathāstre matsamo nāsti kaścid eva dhanurdharaḥ ||
Karna dit : «Par la force des bras, nul n’égale le roi de Madra, Śalya. Mais dans la maîtrise des armes et de la science des traits, nul archer ne m’égale.»
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the warrior-code emphasis on recognizing others’ strengths while asserting one’s own excellence. Ethically, it shows how pride and reputation operate as motivating forces in war—capable of inspiring courage, yet also intensifying rivalry and overconfidence.
Karna is speaking in the Karna Parva context, evaluating martial capacities: he acknowledges Śalya’s unmatched physical might as king of Madra, while claiming unmatched superiority in weapon-lore among archers—positioning himself for the coming combat and reinforcing his standing among allies.