Shloka 158
कर्णेन युधिष्ठिरानीकविदारणम् / Karṇa’s Breach of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Battle-Line
वृजिनं हि भवेत् किंचिद् यदि कर्णस्य पार्थिव
vṛjinaṃ hi bhavet kiñcid yadi karṇasya pārthiva
Wahai raja, andai menimpa Karṇa walau sedikit sahaja malang atau cela moral, itu pun sudah menjadi perkara yang amat berat—menunjukkan betapa besar sandaran pihak Kaurava pada dirinya, dan betapa cemasnya Duryodhana terhadap nasib tonggak utamanya dalam perang.
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The line highlights the ethical and strategic danger of over-reliance on a single champion: when a cause is propped up by one person’s strength, the leader’s fear of that person’s misfortune becomes intense, revealing insecurity and the fragility of adharma-based confidence.
Duryodhana addresses the king (pārthiva) and expresses apprehension that even a small calamity affecting Karṇa would be disastrous, underscoring Karṇa’s central role for the Kauravas in the ongoing battle.