Shloka 12
वयं हि सह कृष्णेन हत्वा कर्णमुखान् परान् | स्वबाहुविजितां कृत्स्नां प्रशासेम वसुन्धराम्,“भगवान् श्रीकृष्णके साथ हमलोग कर्ण आदि शत्रुओंको मारकर अपने बाहुबलसे जीती हुई सम्पूर्ण पृथ्वीका शासन कर सकते हैं
vaiśampāyana uvāca | vayaṃ hi saha kṛṣṇena hatvā karṇamukhān parān | svabāhuvijitāṃ kṛtsnāṃ praśāsema vasundharām ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Indeed, with Kṛṣṇa at our side, after slaying the enemy host led by Karṇa, we could rule the entire earth—won by the strength of our own arms.” The statement frames kingship as the fruit of martial victory and alliance, raising the ethical tension between conquest-driven sovereignty and the dharmic responsibilities that should govern the use of power.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a political-moral tension: the confidence that military strength and a powerful ally can secure sovereignty, while implicitly inviting reflection on whether rulership grounded in conquest aligns with dharma and the responsibilities of just governance.
A speaker (reported by Vaiśampāyana) asserts that, with Kṛṣṇa’s support, they could defeat the opposing champions led by Karṇa and thereby govern the whole earth as a realm won through their own martial prowess.