Shloka 19
मा सूतपुत्राह्दय राजपुत्र महावीर्य॑ केसरिणं यथैव । वने शृगाल: पिशितेन तृप्तो मा पार्थमासाद्य विनड्क्ष्यसि त्वम्
mā sūtaputrāhṛdaya rājaputra mahāvīrya keśariṇaṃ yathaiva | vane śṛgālaḥ piśitena tṛpto mā pārtham āsādya vinaṅkṣyasi tvam ||
Sañjaya said: “O mighty prince, do not become lion-hearted merely because you are the son of a charioteer. Like a jackal in the forest that, having eaten flesh, imagines itself a lion, do not rush upon Pārtha (Arjuna) and meet your ruin.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse cautions against overconfidence born of temporary success: inflated self-image and contempt for a superior opponent lead to self-destruction. True valor is measured by discernment and restraint, not by bravado.
Sañjaya, narrating the battle events, delivers a sharp warning to Karṇa: do not mistake momentary advantage for genuine superiority. He uses the image of a jackal, emboldened after eating flesh, imagining itself a lion—urging Karṇa not to attack Arjuna and perish.