Shloka 23
कर्णवधोत्तरं शल्य-दुर्योधनसंवादः
Aftermath of Karṇa’s Fall: Śalya’s Address to Duryodhana
तृणं च कृत्वा समरे भवन्तं ततो<5हमेवं निकृतो दुरात्मना । वैकर्तनेनैव तथा कृतो5हं यथा हाुशक्त: क्रियते हबान्धव:
tṛṇaṁ ca kṛtvā samare bhavantaṁ tato ’ham evaṁ nikṛto durātmanā | vaikartanenaiva tathā kṛto ’haṁ yathā hīnaśaktaḥ kriyate hy abandhavaḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Di medan perang, dia memandang ringan dirimu seolah-olah hanya jerami; maka orang berhati jahat itu telah menghinakan aku demikian. Vaikartana (Karna) memperlakukan aku tepat seperti orang memperlakukan seorang yang tidak berdaya—tanpa kekuatan dan tanpa sanak saudara untuk berdiri membelanya.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical ugliness of exploiting another’s vulnerability: treating someone as insignificant (“like straw”) and as if they have no support is portrayed as the act of a durātman (wicked-minded person), underscoring that power in war can be used either with restraint or with contempt.
Sañjaya reports a moment of grievance and dishonor: Karna (Vaikartana) has, in the context of battle, dismissed the addressed person as worthless and treated him like a powerless, friendless man—an explicit description of humiliation inflicted amid the conflict.