Shloka 24
इत्येवमुक्त्वा विरराम शल्यो दुर्योधनं शोकपरीतचेता: । हा कर्ण हा कर्ण इति ब्रुवाण- मार्त विसंज्ञं भृशमश्रुनेत्रम्,दुर्योधनसे ऐसा कहकर राजा शल्य चुप हो गये। उनका चित्त शोकसे व्याकुल हो रहा था। दुर्योधन भी आर्त होकर 'हा कर्ण! हा कर्ण!” पुकारने लगा। वह सुध-बुध खो बैठा था। उसके नेत्रोंसे वेगपूर्वक आँसुओंकी अविरल धारा बह रही थी
ity evam uktvā virarāma śalyo duryodhanaṃ śokaparītacetāḥ | hā karṇa hā karṇa iti bruvāṇaṃ ārta-visañjñaṃ bhṛśam aśrunetram ||
Having spoken thus, King Śalya fell silent, his mind overwhelmed by grief. Duryodhana, stricken with anguish, began crying out, “Alas, Karṇa! Alas, Karṇa!” He lost all composure, and from his eyes tears streamed down in a relentless flow.
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the human cost of war: even kings and commanders are undone by grief. It implicitly warns that attachment to power and reliance on a single champion culminate in collapse when that support is lost, revealing the fragility of adharma-driven ambition.
After speaking to Duryodhana, Śalya stops, overcome with sorrow. Duryodhana, devastated by Karṇa’s fall, repeatedly cries out Karṇa’s name, becomes nearly senseless, and weeps uncontrollably.