Shloka 10
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Anxiety and Sañjaya’s Report on the Pandavas’ Coalition
Kāmyaka Context
घृणी कर्ण: प्रमादी च आचार्य: स्थविरो गुरु: । अमर्षी बलवान् पार्थ: संरम्भी दृढविक्रम:,कर्ण दयालु और प्रमादी है। आचार्य द्रोण वृद्ध एवं गुरु हैं। उधर कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुन अत्यन्त अमर्षमें भरे हुए और बलवान हैं। उद्योगी और दृढ़ पराक्रमी हैं। सब ओरसे घमासान युद्ध छिड़नेकी सम्भावना हो गयी है। युद्धमें पाण्डवोंकी पराजय नहीं हो सकती; क्योंकि उनकी ओर सभी अस्त्रविद्याके विद्वान् शूरवीर और महान् यशस्वी हैं
ghṛṇī karṇaḥ pramādī ca ācāryaḥ sthaviro guruḥ | amarṣī balavān pārthaḥ saṃrambhī dṛḍha-vikramaḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “Karna is compassionate, yet prone to heedlessness; the preceptor (Droṇa) is aged and revered as a guru. On the other side, Pārtha (Arjuna), Kuntī’s son, is filled with fierce indignation and is mighty—impetuous in onset and unwavering in valor.” The verse frames the ethical tension of impending battle by contrasting personal traits—mercy, negligence, age, authority, righteous anger, and steadfast heroism—suggesting how character shapes the course of war and responsibility.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how inner dispositions—compassion, negligence, venerable authority, righteous indignation, and steadfast courage—directly influence ethical responsibility and outcomes in war; virtue without vigilance can falter, while disciplined valor can become decisive.
Vaiśaṃpāyana characterizes key warriors on opposing sides—Karna and the aged preceptor Droṇa versus Arjuna—foreshadowing an intense conflict by emphasizing their temperaments and capacities as the situation moves toward a major confrontation.