Shloka 62
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०
Karṇa’s Pressure on the Pāñcālas; Duryodhana Disabled; Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
स त्वमेकशतं पातं पतन्नभ्यधिको मया । कथमेवं परिश्रान्त: पतितो5सि महार्णवे,'सौ उड़ानोंसे उड़नेवाला तू तो मुझसे बहुत बढ़ा-चढ़ा है। फिर इस प्रकार थककर महासागरमें कैसे गिर पड़ा?”
sa tvam ekaśataṃ pātaṃ patann abhyadhiko mayā | katham evaṃ pariśrāntaḥ patito 'si mahārṇave ||
Śalya berkata: “Engkau yang mampu terus terbang meski menukik turun seratus kali, jauh mengatasi aku dalam seni penerbangan. Maka bagaimana engkau, dalam keletihan sedemikian, boleh terjatuh ke samudera raya begini?”
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how even exceptional capability can collapse under fatigue and adverse conditions, and it also illustrates the ethical ambiguity of using taunts and sarcasm to unsettle another—especially in a war setting where psychological pressure becomes a weapon.
Śalya addresses his counterpart with a pointed, ironic question: despite being ‘better at flying’ through repeated falls, how did he end up exhausted and plunged into the ‘great ocean’? The imagery functions as a taunt meant to diminish confidence and expose vulnerability.