Shloka 4
Aśvatthāman’s Arrow-Screen and the Confrontation with Yudhiṣṭhira (द्रौणि–युधिष्ठिर-संग्रामः)
तथा कृष्णस्य माहात्म्यमृषभस्य महीक्षिताम् | यथाहं शल्य जानामि न त्वं जानासि तत् तथा,शल्य! इसी प्रकार महीपालशिरोमणि श्रीकृष्णके माहात्म्यको जैसा मैं जानता हूँ, वैसा तुम नहीं जानते
tathā kṛṣṇasya māhātmyam ṛṣabhasya mahīkṣitām | yathāhaṃ śalya jānāmi na tvaṃ jānāsi tat tathā ||
Karna berkata: “Demikian juga, wahai Śalya, engkau tidak mengetahui kebesaran Kṛṣṇa—yang terunggul di antara raja-raja di bumi—sebagaimana aku mengetahuinya. Pemahamanmu tentang baginda tidak setara dengan pemahamanku.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts true discernment of greatness with superficial judgment: recognizing Kṛṣṇa’s exceptional stature requires insight, and mere proximity to power or battlefield confidence does not guarantee understanding.
In the Karṇa–Śalya exchange during the war context, Karna asserts that Śalya fails to grasp Kṛṣṇa’s true greatness, while Karna claims a clearer recognition of Kṛṣṇa’s supremacy among rulers.