Shloka 24
एतांस््तु वासुदेवो5पि रथोदारान् प्रशंसति । सतत प्रियकामाश्ष् कर्णस्यैते वशे स्थिता:,भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण भी इन श्रेष्ठ महारथियोंकी प्रशंसा करते हैं, ये सब-के-सब कर्णके वशमें स्थित हैं और सदा उसका प्रिय करनेकी अभिलाषा रखते हैं
etāṁs tu vāsudevo 'pi rathodārān praśaṁsati | satataṁ priyakāmāś ca karṇasyaite vaśe sthitāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Even Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) praises these noble chariot-warriors. All of them remain under Karṇa’s control, ever intent on doing what pleases him—showing how, in war, personal allegiance and the desire to gratify a leader can override independent judgment about what is right.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how praise and reputation can coexist with moral risk: capable warriors may become instruments of a leader’s will, driven by the desire to please, which can weaken independent ethical discernment in the midst of conflict.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Kṛṣṇa himself acknowledges the excellence of certain chariot-warriors, yet notes that they are aligned under Karṇa’s influence and consistently seek to fulfill Karṇa’s wishes.