Shloka 96
समीपस्थं मद्रराजमारोह त्वमथाब्रवीत् । रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ कर्णने वेदज्ञ पुरोहितद्वारा पहलेसे ही जिसका मांगलिक कृत्य सम्पन्न कर दिया गया था, उस रथकी विधिपूर्वक पूजा और प्रदक्षिणा की। तत्पश्चात् सूर्यदेवका प्रयत्नपूर्वक उपस्थान करके पास ही खड़े हुए मद्रराजसे कहा--'पहले आप रथपर बैठिये'
saṃjaya uvāca | samīpasthaṃ madrarājam āroha tvam athābravīt | rathiyom̐ meṃ śreṣṭhaḥ karṇo veda-jña-purohitena pūrvam eva yasya māṅgalika-kṛtyaṃ sampāditaṃ āsīt, tasya rathasya vidhi-pūrvakaṃ pūjāṃ ca pradakṣiṇāṃ ca cakāra | tataḥ sūryadevaṃ prayatna-pūrvakam upasthāya samīpe sthitaṃ madrarājaṃ uvāca— ‘pūrvaṃ bhavān ratham ārohatu’ iti |
Sanjaya said: Then Karna addressed the king of Madra who was standing nearby, saying, “Please mount the chariot first.” Karna—foremost among chariot-warriors—performed the prescribed worship and circumambulation of that chariot, for which a learned priest had already completed the auspicious rites. Thereafter, with deliberate reverence he paid homage to the Sun-god, and then spoke again to the Madra king standing close by: “You should ascend the chariot first.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid warfare, conduct is framed by dharma: Karna observes auspicious rites, honors his deity (Sūrya), and shows formal respect to an ally-king (Śalya) by inviting him to mount first—illustrating discipline, reverence, and protocol before action.
Before setting out, Karna’s chariot—already consecrated by a learned priest—is ritually worshiped and circumambulated. Karna then pays homage to the Sun-god and addresses the nearby king of Madra (Śalya), requesting that he ascend the chariot first.