Shloka 32
देवसत्रे मृत्युनिरोधः, पूर्वेन्द्राणां मानुषावतरणम्, द्रौपदी-वरकथनम्
Suspension of Death at the Devasatra; Former Indras’ Human Descent; Draupadī’s Boon Etiology
को हि राधासुतं कर्ण शक्तो योधयितुं रणे । अन्यत्र रामाद् द्रोणाद् वा पाण्डवाद् वा किरीटिन:,“परशुराम, द्रोण अथवा पाण्डुनन्दन अर्जुनके सिवा दूसरा ऐसा कौन है, जो युद्धमें राधानन्दन कर्णका सामना कर सके
vaiśampāyana uvāca | ko hi rādhāsutaṃ karṇaṃ śaktaḥ yodhayituṃ raṇe | anyatra rāmād droṇād vā pāṇḍavād vā kirīṭinaḥ ||
“Siapa yang sanggup bertarung melawan Karṇa, putra Rādhā, di medan perang—kecuali Rāma (Paraśurāma), atau Droṇa, atau Arjuna sang Pāṇḍava pemakai mahkota?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Extraordinary power in war is rare and must be met by equally disciplined excellence; the verse frames true martial superiority as something recognized by standards (Paraśurāma, Droṇa, Arjuna) rather than by boast, implying an ethical hierarchy of capability within kṣatriya-dharma.
Vaiśampāyana highlights Karṇa’s near-unmatched strength by asking rhetorically who could face him in battle, then naming only three exceptions—Paraśurāma, Droṇa, and Arjuna—thereby elevating Karṇa’s stature while situating him among the greatest warriors.