Shloka 40
कर्णेन सैन्यस्थापनं तथा नानायुद्धसमवायः
Karna Reforms the Host and Multiple Duels Converge
शल्य उवाच आतुराणां परित्याग: स्वदारसुतविक्रय: । अड़े प्रवर्तते कर्ण येषामधिपतिर्भवान्
śalya uvāca | āturāṇāṁ parityāgaḥ svadāra-suta-vikrayaḥ | aṅge pravartate karṇa yeṣām adhipatir bhavān |
Śalya berkata: “Karna, di negeri Aṅga—yang atasnya engkau dijadikan penguasa—konon kebiasaan ini berlaku: bila kerabat sendiri jatuh sakit, mereka ditinggalkan; bahkan orang menjual istri dan anaknya sendiri di pasar.”
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse condemns adharma in social and familial duties: abandoning sick relatives and commodifying one’s own family are presented as morally corrupt practices, used here to shame a ruler by implying failure of righteous governance and community values.
On the battlefield, Śalya—serving as Karna’s charioteer—provokes and demoralizes Karna by deriding the land of Aṅga, where Karna was made king, accusing its people of heartless and disgraceful customs.