Shloka 4
कर्णवधोत्तरं शल्य-दुर्योधनसंवादः
Aftermath of Karṇa’s Fall: Śalya’s Address to Duryodhana
यत् तद् वाक्यं द्वैतवने त्वयोक्तं कर्ण हन्तास्म्येकरथेन सत्यम् । त्यक्त्वा तं वै कथमद्यापयात: कर्णाद् भीतो भीमसेनं विहाय
yat tad vākyaṃ dvaitavane tvayoktaṃ karṇa hantāsmy ekarathena satyam | tyaktvā taṃ vai katham adyāpayātaḥ karṇād bhīto bhīmasenaṃ vihāya
സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ദ്വൈതവനത്തിൽ നീ പറഞ്ഞ ആ സത്യവചനം—“ഒറ്റ രഥത്തിൽ ഒറ്റയ്ക്കായി യുദ്ധം ചെയ്ത് ഭീമസേനനെ വധിക്കും”—അത് ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് ഇന്ന് നീ എങ്ങനെ പിൻവാങ്ങി? കർണ്ണനെ ഭയന്ന് ഭീമസേനനെ വിട്ടുപോയതുപോലെ തന്നെയല്ലോ.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of one’s declared resolve: a warrior’s public vow and self-assertion are not mere words but a commitment tied to honor and responsibility. It implicitly critiques inconsistency between past boasts and present conduct, especially in the moral pressure-cooker of war.
Sañjaya recalls Karna’s earlier claim made in the Dvaitavana forest that he would kill Bhīmasena alone. He then questions Karna’s present withdrawal—why Karna has retreated and left Bhīmasena, suggesting that Karna’s retreat appears motivated by fear or avoidance, contrary to his earlier declaration.