Shloka 516
Aśvatthāman’s Arrow-Screen and the Confrontation with Yudhiṣṭhira (द्रौणि–युधिष्ठिर-संग्रामः)
यो मामस्मादभिप्रायाद् वारयेदिति मे मतिः । मद्रराज! मैं तीनों लोकोंमें किसी ऐसे प्राणीको नहीं देखता, जो मुझे मेरे इस संकल्पसे विचलित कर दे, यह मेरा दृढ़ निश्चय है
yo mām asmād abhiprāyād vārayet iti me matiḥ | madrarāja! ahaṁ trīṣu lokeṣu na kañcid eva prāṇinaṁ paśyāmi yo māṁ mama asmat saṅkalpād vicalayet—iti me dṛḍha-niścayaḥ ||
Karna said: “O king of Madra, this is my conviction: I see no being in the three worlds who could restrain me from this resolve or shake me from my chosen course. This is my firm determination.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights unwavering resolve (saṅkalpa) as a defining trait in heroic ethics: Karna asserts that no external force can deter him from his chosen course, underscoring steadfastness—though it also carries the moral risk of pride and inflexibility in the face of counsel.
In Karṇa Parva, Karna addresses the king of Madra (Śalya), his charioteer, declaring that no being in the three worlds can restrain him or make him waver from his resolve—an emphatic statement of confidence as the battle intensifies.