Shloka 19
Karna Reproves Shalya; Brahmin Reports on Bāhlīkas; Shalya’s Universalizing Rebuttal (कर्ण–शल्य संवादः)
कर्णो होको महाबाहुर्हन्यात् पार्थान् ससूंजयान् । कर्णस्य भुजयोर्वीर्य शक्रविष्णुसमं युधि
sañjaya uvāca | karṇo hy eko mahābāhur hanyāt pārthān sasūñjayān | karṇasya bhujayor vīryaṃ śakra-viṣṇu-samaṃ yudhi |
ສັນຊະຍະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ກັນນະ ຜູ້ມີແຂນແຂງກ້າ ສາມາດສັງຫານບຸດແຫ່ງປຣິຖາໄດ້ແຕ່ຜູ້ດຽວ ແມ້ຈະມີ ສູນຊະຍະ ຢູ່ດ້ວຍກໍຕາມ. ໃນສົງຄາມ ພະລັງແຂນຂອງກັນນະ ເທົ່າທຽມອິນທຣະ ແລະ ວິສນຸ.» ຄິດດັ່ງນັ້ນແລ້ວ ກະສັດ ດຸຣຍົດຫະນະ ກໍເມົາມົນດ້ວຍຄວາມໝັ້ນໃຈໃນສົງຄາມ ໂດຍອາໄສກັນນະເປັນທີ່ພຶ່ງຫຼັກ.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how leaders can become morally and strategically blinded by admiration for raw power—especially when it is inflated through divine comparisons. It cautions that confidence grounded only in a champion’s might can foster arrogance and poor judgment, obscuring dharma and the real costs of war.
Sañjaya reports that Duryodhana, thinking Karna alone could defeat the Pāṇḍavas (even with their ally Sūñjaya), becomes elated and relies on Karna as his main support in the battle.