Shloka 166
Karna Reproves Shalya; Brahmin Reports on Bāhlīkas; Shalya’s Universalizing Rebuttal (कर्ण–शल्य संवादः)
अप्यपश्यत राधेयं शीतार्ता इव भास्करम् | धृतराष्ट्रने पूछा--सूत! तत्पश्चात् दुर्योधनने क्या किया। मूर्खो! तुमलोगोंका मन जो वैकर्तन कर्णकी ओर गया था
apy apaśyata rādhēyaṁ śītārtā iva bhāskaram |
Disse Sañjaya: “Vós todos olhastes para Rādheya (Karna) como as criaturas afligidas pelo frio olham para o sol?” A linha ressalta que, na crise da batalha, a esperança e a atenção do lado dos Kaurava se voltaram para Karna como para uma única fonte de alívio e força—revelando tanto a dependência de um campeão quanto a tensão moral de buscar refúgio no mero poder marcial, e não no dharma.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a simile to show how people in distress instinctively turn to what they believe can save them. Ethically, it highlights the difference between relying on sheer power (a heroic warrior) and relying on dharma; in crisis, attachment to a single strong protector can eclipse moral discernment.
Sañjaya, narrating the battlefield events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, points out that the Kaurava side’s gaze and expectation were fixed on Karna, as if he were the sun to those suffering from cold—implying that they saw him as their chief hope in the unfolding combat.