Shloka 5
अध्याय ४ — भीष्मेन कर्णोत्साहनम्
Bhīṣma’s Encouragement of Karṇa
स्वबाहुबलवीर्येण धार्तराष्ट्रजयैषिणा । कर्ण राजपुरं गत्वा काम्बोजा निर्जितास्त्वया,“कर्ण! तुमने दुर्योधनके लिये विजयकी इच्छा रखकर अपनी भुजाओंके बल और पराक्रमसे राजपुरमें जाकर समस्त काम्बोजोंपर विजय पायी है
svabāhubalavīryeṇa dhārtarāṣṭrajayaiṣiṇā | karṇa rājapuraṁ gatvā kāmbojā nirjitāstvayā ||
Sañjaya said: “O Karṇa, seeking victory for Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son (Duryodhana), you went to Rājapura and, by the strength and valor of your own arms, you subdued the Kāmbojas.” The line underscores how personal prowess is being harnessed in service of a partisan cause, highlighting the ethical tension between individual heroism and the aims of a contested war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral complexity of valor: extraordinary personal strength and courage can be ethically ambiguous when directed toward partisan victory. It invites reflection on how loyalty and ambition can channel heroism into the machinery of war.
Sañjaya addresses Karṇa, recalling that Karṇa went to a place called Rājapura and conquered the Kāmbojas, motivated by the aim of securing victory for Duryodhana (Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son).