Shloka 1
कर्ण-पाण्डव-संमर्दः — Karṇa and Arjuna’s Intensified Engagement
धृतराष्ट्रने कहा--संजय! भृगुवंशशिरोमणि धनुर्धर परशुरामजी साक्षात् भगवान् शंकरके शिष्य हैं तथा कर्ण उन्हींका शिष्यत्व ग्रहण करके अस्त्रविद्यामें उनके समान ही सुयोग्य हो गया था
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca—sañjaya! bhṛguvaṁśa-śiromaṇi dhanuḥdharaḥ paraśurāmaḥ sākṣāt bhagavān śaṅkarasya śiṣyaḥ; tathā karṇaḥ tasyaiva śiṣyatvaṁ gṛhītvā astravidyāyāṁ tasya-sadṛśaḥ su-yogyaḥ abhavat.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra berkata: “Wahai Sañjaya! Paraśurāma—permata terunggul keturunan Bhṛgu dan pemanah agung—sendiri ialah murid kepada Dewa Śaṅkara. Karṇa, setelah menerima perguruan daripada Paraśurāma itu, menjadi mahir dalam ilmu persenjataan, layak setara dengan gurunya.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage underscores the ethical and cultural authority of the guru–śiṣya lineage: mastery in weapons is legitimized through disciplined discipleship under an eminent teacher whose own learning is rooted in a divine source (Śiva).
Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks Sañjaya about Karṇa’s standing by recalling Paraśurāma’s greatness and stating that Karṇa, trained by Paraśurāma, became highly accomplished in astravidyā—nearly equal to his teacher.