Shloka 60
कर्णेन व्यूहविधानम् — Karṇa’s Battle Formation and the Pāṇḍava Counter-Plan
Adhyāya 31
मन्ये चाभ्यधिकं शल्य गुणै: कर्ण धनंजयात् । भवन्तं वासुदेवाच्च लोको5यमिति मन्यते,“शल्य! मैं कर्णको अर्जुनसे अधिक गुणवान् मानता हूँ और यह सारा जगत् आपको वसुदेवनन्दन श्रीकृष्णसे श्रेष्ठ मानता है
manye cābhyadhikaṃ śalya guṇaiḥ karṇaṃ dhanañjayāt | bhavantaṃ vāsudevāc ca loko 'yam iti manyate ||
Sañjaya said: “O Śalya, I consider Karṇa to surpass Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) in excellence and qualities; and this whole world, I believe, regards you as even superior to Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa).” In the charged moral atmosphere of the war, the statement functions as strategic praise—meant to elevate confidence and status—while also revealing how reputation and public opinion can be wielded as a weapon alongside arms.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how assessments of “superiority” in war are often shaped by rhetoric and public perception. It implicitly cautions that fame and praise can be deployed strategically, and that ethical discernment is needed to separate genuine merit from persuasive speech.
Sañjaya addresses Śalya, asserting that Karṇa exceeds Arjuna in qualities and that people consider Śalya greater than Kṛṣṇa. The line serves to magnify Karṇa’s side through comparative praise, reflecting the tense atmosphere of the Kurukṣetra conflict where morale and status are continually contested.