Shloka 40
Adhyāya 36: Ghora-yuddha-varṇanam
A Clinical Description of the Intensified Engagement
इदमपरमुपस्थितं पुन- स्तव निधनाय सुयुद्धमद्य वै | यदि न रिपुभयात् पलायसे समरगतोडद्य हतोडसि सूतज
idam aparam upasthitaṃ punaḥ tava nidhanāya su-yuddham adya vai | yadi na ripu-bhayāt palāyase samara-gato 'dya hata 'si sūta-ja, sūta-putra ||
シャリヤは言った。「またしても今日、もう一つの見事な戦いが現れた――それはおまえの滅びのためである。敵を恐れて逃げぬのなら、今日この戦場に足を踏み入れた瞬間、必ず討たれるであろう、御者の子よ、御者の子よ。」
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how speech can be used as psychological warfare: Shalya frames the coming combat as inevitable death for Karna and taunts him with social labels (“sūta-ja, sūta-putra”). Ethically, it warns that in war, words can wound and destabilize dharma by provoking anger, pride, and rash action.
On the battlefield, Shalya addresses Karna directly, declaring that another decisive fight has arrived specifically for Karna’s destruction. He challenges Karna not to flee from fear and predicts that if Karna enters the fray, he will be killed that very day.