Shloka 43
कर्णपर्व — द्विचक्रिकी युद्धपरिस्थिति: धृष्टद्युम्न- द्रौणि-संघर्षः तथा अर्जुन-रक्षणम्
Chapter 42
“इसके सिवा, मैंने पहले ही यह शर्त कर दी है कि तुम्हारे अप्रिय वचनोंको क्षमा करूँगा। वैसे तो हजारों शल्य न रहें तो भी मैं शत्रुओंपर विजय पा सकता हूँ; परंतु मित्रद्रोह महान् पाप है, इसीलिये तुम अबतक जीवित हो” ।। इति श्रीमहाभारते कर्णपर्वणि कर्णशल्यसंवादे त्रिचत्वारिंशो5ध्याय:
sanjaya uvāca | itas ca, mayā pūrvam eva iyaṃ śartā kṛtā yathā tava apriya-vacanāni kṣamiṣye | yady api śalyānāṃ sahasrāṇi na syuḥ, tathāpi ahaṃ śatrūn prati vijayaṃ prāptuṃ śaknomi | kintu mitra-drohaḥ mahān pāpaḥ; tasmāt tvam adyāpi jīvasi || iti śrīmahābhārate karṇa-parvaṇi karṇa-śalya-saṃvāde dvi-catvāriṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ ||
Sanjaya said: “Moreover, I had already laid down this condition—that I would forgive your harsh and unpleasant words. Even if there were not thousands of Shalyas, I could still win victory over my enemies; but betrayal of a friend is a grievous sin. For that reason, you are still alive.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid war and provocation, ethical limits remain: harsh speech may be forgiven, but betraying a friend is a grave sin. The passage highlights restraint, loyalty, and the moral weight of treachery compared to personal insult.
In the Karna–Shalya exchange, Shalya has been speaking unpleasantly. The speaker (reported by Sanjaya) states that he had already resolved to forgive such words, claims he can defeat enemies regardless, and explains that Shalya is spared because harming a friend/ally would amount to sinful betrayal.