Shloka 16
भीष्म-पर्व अध्याय १०० — त्रिगर्त-आक्रमण, भीष्म-केन्द्रित पुनर्संयोजन, तथा शक्त्यस्त्र-विनिमय
एवमुक्त्वा ततो राजन् कर्णमाह जनेश्वर: । अनुमान्य रणे भीष्ममेषो<हं द्विपदां वरम्,राजन! दुःशासनसे ऐसा कहकर जनेश्वर दुर्योधनने कर्णसे कहा--'शत्रुदमन! मैं मनुष्योंमें श्रेष्ठ भीष्मको युद्धसे हटनेके लिये राजी करके अभी तुम्हारे पास लौट आता हूँ। फिर भीष्मके हट जानेपर तुम युद्धके मैदानमें शत्रुओंपर प्रहार करना”
evam uktvā tato rājan karṇam āha janeśvaraḥ | anumānya raṇe bhīṣmam eṣo 'haṃ dvipadāṃ varam ||
Having spoken thus, O King, Duryodhana—the lord of men—addressed Karṇa: “O subduer of foes, I shall first persuade Bhīṣma, the best of men, to withdraw from the battle, and then return to you. Once Bhīṣma has stepped aside, you should strike the enemies on the battlefield.” The passage frames a tactical and moral pivot: removing the revered elder from command so that the war may be prosecuted without restraint against the opposing side.
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how political ambition and battlefield strategy can override reverence for elders: Duryodhana seeks Bhīṣma’s withdrawal to enable a more aggressive prosecution of war through Karṇa, raising ethical tension between respect (for Bhīṣma) and expedient victory.
Duryodhana tells Karṇa that he will go and persuade Bhīṣma—celebrated as the foremost of men—to step aside from the fighting; once Bhīṣma is removed from active command, Karṇa is to attack the enemies decisively on the battlefield.