Shloka 20
गर्जित्वा सूतपुत्र त्वं शारदा भ्रमिवाफलम् | निष्फलो दृश्यसे कर्ण तच्च राजा न बुध्यते
garjitvā sūtaputra tvaṃ śāradā bhramivāphalam | niṣphalo dṛśyase karṇa tacca rājā na budhyate ||
Sañjaya said: “Though you roar loudly, O son of a charioteer, you appear like an autumnal cloud that wanders yet yields no rain. O Karṇa, you seem fruitless in action—and the king does not understand this.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Mere loud claims and intimidating display are ethically empty if they do not translate into effective, responsible action; a ruler must discern real capability rather than be swayed by rhetoric or loyalty.
Sañjaya reports and critiques Karṇa’s conduct to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, using the image of a roaming autumn cloud that thunders but gives no rain to suggest that Karṇa’s bravado is not yielding tangible results in the war, while the king remains unaware or unwilling to accept it.