Shloka 656
Karna Reproves Shalya; Brahmin Reports on Bāhlīkas; Shalya’s Universalizing Rebuttal (कर्ण–शल्य संवादः)
समुद्ातुं न शक्ष्यन्ति देवा अपि सवासवा: । ऐसी व्यवस्था कर लेनेपर जब मैं रथमें बैदूँगा, उस समय सभी गुणोंद्वारा अर्जुनसे बढ़ जाऊँगा। कुरुश्रेष्ठ! फिर तो मैं युद्धमें अर्जुनको अवश्य जीत लूँगा। इन्द्रसहित सम्पूर्ण देवता भी मेरा सामना नहीं कर सकेंगे
samudātuṁ na śakṣyanti devā api savāsavāḥ | evaṁ vyavasthāṁ kṛtvā yadāhaṁ rathe niṣatsyāmi tadā sarva-guṇair arjunāt śreṣṭho bhaviṣyāmi | kuruśreṣṭha! tato ’haṁ yuddhe ’rjunaṁ niyataṁ jeṣyāmi | indra-sahitaḥ sarvo deva-gaṇo ’pi mama samīpaṁ na śakṣyati ||
Karna berkata: “Bahkan para dewa, Indra sekali pun, tidak akan mampu menahan aku. Setelah aku menyusun segala persiapan ini dan mengambil tempat di atas kereta perang, aku akan mengatasi Arjuna dalam setiap keunggulan. Wahai yang terbaik antara Kuru, dalam peperangan aku pasti akan menewaskan Arjuna. Bahkan seluruh bala dewa bersama Indra tidak akan sanggup berhadapan denganku.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the warrior ethos of confidence and resolve, while also warning—by implication through Karna’s escalating claims—how pride and overconfidence can cloud judgment in dharmic warfare, where outcomes depend not only on prowess but also on righteousness, timing, and destiny.
Karna, preparing for a decisive confrontation, declares that after making certain strategic preparations and mounting his chariot, he will surpass Arjuna in all qualities and surely defeat him—so much so that even Indra and the gods could not oppose him.