Shloka 17
किं त्वं साक्षाद् धनुर्वेदो रामो वा विप्रसत्तम | अथ साक्षाद्धरिहय: साक्षाद् वा विष्णुरच्युत:,विप्रशिरोमणे! आप मूर्तिमान् धनुर्वेद हैं? या परशुराम? अथवा आप स्वयं इन्द्र या अपनी महिमासे कभी च्युत न होनेवाले साक्षात् भगवान् विष्णु हैं?
kiṁ tvaṁ sākṣād dhanurvedo rāmo vā viprasattama | atha sākṣād harihayaḥ sākṣād vā viṣṇur acyutaḥ ||
Karna said: “Who are you truly, O best of brahmins? Are you the very embodied science of archery, or Rama (Paraśurāma) himself? Or are you Indra, lord of the tawny steeds, or indeed Viṣṇu—Acyuta, the unfailing one—manifest before me?” In this moment Karna’s awe and uncertainty reveal how extraordinary the opponent appears, and how power can be read as a sign of divine presence, calling for reverence even amid rivalry.
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Extraordinary skill and presence can evoke reverence and self-restraint: Karna frames unmatched martial excellence as potentially divine, reminding that power should be approached with humility and discernment, not mere arrogance.
Karna addresses an exceptional brahmin-like figure and, struck by his prowess, wonders whether he is the personified Dhanurveda, Paraśurāma, Indra, or Viṣṇu himself—an expression of astonishment and respect in a tense encounter.