Shloka 19
Karna Reproves Shalya; Brahmin Reports on Bāhlīkas; Shalya’s Universalizing Rebuttal (कर्ण–शल्य संवादः)
कर्णो होको महाबाहुर्हन्यात् पार्थान् ससूंजयान् । कर्णस्य भुजयोर्वीर्य शक्रविष्णुसमं युधि
sañjaya uvāca | karṇo hy eko mahābāhur hanyāt pārthān sasūñjayān | karṇasya bhujayor vīryaṃ śakra-viṣṇu-samaṃ yudhi |
Sañjaya disse: «Karna, o herói de braços poderosos, sozinho poderia matar os filhos de Pṛthā mesmo juntamente com Sūñjaya. Em batalha, a força dos braços de Karna é igual à de Indra e Viṣṇu.» Pensando assim, o rei Duryodhana embriagou-se de confiança na guerra, tomando Karna como seu principal amparo.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how leaders can become morally and strategically blinded by admiration for raw power—especially when it is inflated through divine comparisons. It cautions that confidence grounded only in a champion’s might can foster arrogance and poor judgment, obscuring dharma and the real costs of war.
Sañjaya reports that Duryodhana, thinking Karna alone could defeat the Pāṇḍavas (even with their ally Sūñjaya), becomes elated and relies on Karna as his main support in the battle.