Shloka 1
Koṭikāśya’s Inquiry to the Radiant Woman near the Kadamba (कोटिकाश्यप्रश्नः)
हि मय न | है 7 अष्टचत्वारिशर्दाधिकद्विशततमो< ध्याय: दुर्योधनका कर्णको अपनी पराजयका समाचार बताना दुर्योधन उवाच अजानतत्ते राधेय नाभ्यसूयाम्यहं वच: । जानासि त्वं जिताउछत्रून् गन्धर्वास्तेजसा मया,दुर्योधन बोला--राधानन्दन! तुम सब बातें जानते नहीं हो, इसीसे मैं तुम्हारे इस कथनको बुरा नहीं मानता। तुम समझते हो कि मैंने अपने शत्रुभूत गन्धर्वोकोी अपने ही पराक्रमसे हराया है; परंतु ऐसी बात नहीं है
Duryodhana uvāca — ajānat te rādhēya nābhyasūyāmy ahaṃ vacaḥ | jānāsi tvaṃ jitāṃś chatrūn gandharvās tejasā mayā |
Duryodhana said: “O son of Rādhā (Karna), since you do not know the full situation, I do not take offense at your words. You think that I defeated those enemy Gandharvas by my own prowess; but it was not so.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical self-assessment: true honor lies not in claiming victory but in acknowledging the real causes behind events. Duryodhana restrains anger at Karna’s misunderstanding and begins to correct an inflated narrative of his own prowess.
After the episode involving the Gandharvas, Karna speaks as if Duryodhana had defeated them by his own strength. Duryodhana replies that Karna is unaware of the facts, so he does not resent the remark, and he clarifies that the victory was not achieved solely by Duryodhana’s valor.