Shloka 19
कर्णेन युधिष्ठिरानीकविदारणम् / Karṇa’s Breach of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Battle-Line
रथं वसुन्धरां देवीं विशालपुरमालिनीम्
rathaṁ vasundharāṁ devīṁ viśālapuramālinīm
Duryodhana menyeru dan menggambarkan Bumi yang suci sebagai dewi—Vasundharā—yang dihiasi kota-kota luas; sambil menyiratkan kereta sebagai alat perang yang paling dekat. Baris ini menggabungkan rasa hormat kepada tanah yang menampung segala makhluk dengan hakikat suram bahawa bumi yang sama turut memikul beban medan tempur, mengingatkan bahawa kuasa dan penaklukan berdiri di atas sesuatu yang pada akhirnya bersifat ilahi dan dikongsi oleh semua.
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid warfare, the text can frame foundational realities—like the Earth that supports all life—as divine. This juxtaposition highlights an ethical tension: rulers seek victory using chariots and weapons, yet they act upon a sacred, shared ground that demands restraint, accountability, and awareness of dharma.
In Karṇa Parva, Duryodhana is speaking in the context of the ongoing Kurukṣetra battle. This line functions as a descriptive invocation: he refers to the chariot and to the Earth as the goddess Vasundharā, portrayed as splendid with great cities—evoking both the grandeur of the realm at stake and the sacredness of the world that bears the war.