Shloka 26
Aśvatthāman’s Arrow-Screen and the Confrontation with Yudhiṣṭhira (द्रौणि–युधिष्ठिर-संग्रामः)
वयस्याभ्यागताश्चान्ये दासीदासं च संगतम् | पुम्भिविमिश्रा नार्यश्व ज्ञाताज्ञाता: स्वयेच्छया
vayasyābhyāgatāścānye dāsīdāsaṃ ca saṅgatam | pumbhirvimiśrā nāryaśca jñātājñātāḥ svayecchayā
Karna berkata: “Yang lain juga telah datang—rakan sebaya denganku—dan ada juga percampuran antara hamba perempuan dan hamba lelaki. Kaum wanita, sama ada dikenali atau tidak, telah bergaul bebas dengan lelaki menurut kehendak mereka sendiri.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how voluntary association and social mixing—especially across gender and status lines—can become a point of ethical scrutiny in epic discourse. Karna frames the situation as one where people act by personal choice, implying questions of propriety, reputation, and responsibility.
Karna is speaking and describing a scene of arrivals and mingling: peers have gathered, servants are present, and women—both known and unknown—are mixing with men by their own choice. The statement functions as part of Karna’s characterization of the surrounding social situation while making a pointed argument about conduct.