Shloka 2
कर्णपरर्वणि त्रयोचत्वारिंशदध्यायः (Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 43) — Kṛṣṇa’s Battlefield Assessment and the Reversal Around Bhīma
संजय उवाच तथा ब्रुवन्तं परुषं कर्णो मद्राधिपं तदा । परुषं द्विगुणं भूय: प्रोवाचाप्रियदर्शनम्
sañjaya uvāca tathā bruvantaṃ paruṣaṃ karṇo madrādhipaṃ tadā | paruṣaṃ dviguṇaṃ bhūyaḥ provācāpriyadarśanam ||
Sañjaya disse: “Ó Rei, quando Śalya, senhor de Madra, proferiu palavras tão duras, Karṇa —cuja própria aparência, naquele instante, se tornou desagradável— respondeu de novo com fala duas vezes mais áspera. Essa troca mostra como a ira e o orgulho ferido, quando alimentados, logo se elevam a crueldade maior, obscurecendo o juízo na véspera da batalha.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical danger of retaliatory speech: harsh words invite harsher replies, multiplying hostility. It implicitly warns that self-control (especially in speech) is crucial for right judgment and dharmic conduct, particularly in high-stakes situations like war.
Shalya, the king of Madra, has spoken harshly; Karna responds again, but with doubled harshness. Sanjaya reports this to the king, marking the intensifying tension between Karna and his charioteer Shalya during the war narrative.