Shloka 8
Draupadī’s Identification of the Pāṇḍavas and the Onset of the Chariot Engagement (द्रौपदी-पाण्डव-परिचयः)
कर्णस्य च महाबाहो सूतपुत्रस्य दुर्मते:,महाबाहो! उस समय खोटी बुद्धिवाले सूतपुत्र कर्णका पराक्रम भी तुमसे छिपा नहीं था। नृपश्रेष्ठ! धर्मवत्सल! मेरा तो ऐसा विश्वास है कि धनुर्वेद, शौर्य और धर्माचरणमें कर्ण पाण्डवोंकी अपेक्षा चौथाई योग्यता भी नहीं रखता है
karṇasya ca mahābāho sūtaputrasya durmateḥ | mahābāho! tadā khotibuddhivāle sūtaputra-karṇasya parākramaḥ api tava na nigūḍha āsīt | nṛpaśreṣṭha! dharmavatsala! mama tu evaṃ viśvāsaḥ—dhanurvede, śaurye, dharmācaraṇe ca karṇaḥ pāṇḍavebhyaḥ apekṣayā caturthāṃśam api yogyatāṃ na dhārayati ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai yang berlengan perkasa! Bahkan saat itu pun, kegagahan Karṇa—putra sūta yang berpikiran sesat—tidak tersembunyi darimu. Wahai raja terbaik, pecinta dharma! Inilah keyakinanku: dalam ilmu memanah, dalam keberanian, dan dalam laku dharma, Karṇa tidak memiliki bahkan seperempat nilai dibanding para Pāṇḍava.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames true excellence as threefold—skill (dhanurveda), courage (śaurya), and righteous conduct (dharmācaraṇa). It implies that martial reputation alone is insufficient; ethical alignment and dharma-grounded action are integral to genuine worth.
Vaiśampāyana addresses a heroic listener (mahābāhu, nṛpaśreṣṭha, dharmavatsala) and asserts that Karṇa’s prowess was already known, yet he judges Karṇa’s overall merit—across archery, valor, and dharma—as far inferior to that of the Pāṇḍavas.