Shloka 38
Adhyāya 10: Śrutakarmā’s Engagements; Prativindhya–Citra Duel; Drauṇi Advances toward Bhīma
संजय उवाच आशा बलवती राजन पुत्रस्य तव याभवत् | हते भीष्मे च द्रोणे च कर्णो जेष्यति पाण्डवान्,संजय कहते हैं--राजन्! आपके पुत्रके मनमें जो यह प्रबल आशा हो गयी थी कि भीष्म और द्रोणके मारे जानेपर कर्ण पाण्डवोंको जीत लेगा, वही आशा मनमें लेकर उस समय उसने कर्णसे इस प्रकार कहा--'सूतपुत्र! अर्जुन तुम्हारे सामने खड़े होकर कभी युद्ध करना नहीं चाहते हैं!
sañjaya uvāca | āśā balavatī rājan putrasya tava yābhavat | hate bhīṣme ca droṇe ca karṇo jeṣyati pāṇḍavān |
Sañjaya said: O King, your son came to cherish a powerful hope—that once Bhīṣma and Droṇa had been slain, Karṇa would surely defeat the Pāṇḍavas. Holding fast to that very expectation, he then addressed Karṇa in this manner: “O son of a charioteer, Arjuna does not wish to fight when standing face to face with you.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how powerful hope—especially when rooted in partial understanding—can shape decisions in war and leadership. Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son clings to the belief that removing great commanders (Bhīṣma and Droṇa) guarantees victory through Karṇa, revealing the ethical danger of self-deception and overconfidence amid adharma-driven conflict.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duryodhana, after Bhīṣma and Droṇa have fallen, places strong confidence in Karṇa’s ability to defeat the Pāṇḍavas. With that hope, Duryodhana speaks to Karṇa, asserting that Arjuna does not wish to fight him directly—an attempt to bolster Karṇa and unsettle the enemy through rhetoric.