Shloka 4
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 54 — Missile-Exchange and Tactical Redirection
Arjuna, Aśvatthāman, Karṇa
एतेन तूर्ण प्रतिपादयेमान् श्वेतान् हयान् काज्चनरश्मियोक्त्रान् जवेन सर्वेण कुरु प्रयत्न- मासादये<हं कुरुसिंहवृन्दम्
etena tūrṇaṃ pratipādayemān śvetān hayān kāñcanaraśmiyoktrān | javena sarveṇa kuru prayatnam āsādaye'haṃ kurusiṃhavṛndam ||
Waiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai pangeran, paculah kuda-kuda putihku ini dengan segera melalui jalan ini—terpasang kekang emas—dan kerahkan seluruh kecepatan, agar aku mencapai bala para singa Kuru. Lihatlah: sebagaimana seekor gajah rindu bertubrukan dengan gajah lain, demikian pula si durjana, putra kusir itu, Karṇa, menginginkan perang denganku. Bawalah aku terlebih dahulu kepadanya; bersandar pada Duryodhana, kesombongannya telah menggelembung.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how patronage and power can inflate pride and provoke reckless aggression; it implicitly warns that arrogance (garva) fueled by external support can drive one toward destructive conflict.
The speaker orders the charioteer to drive at full speed toward the Kuru host, specifically to confront Karṇa first, describing Karṇa’s eagerness for combat and attributing his boldness to Duryodhana’s backing.