“कर्ण! फिर राज्यके लोभमें पड़कर तुमने शकुनिकी सलाहके अनुसार जब पाण्डवोंको दुबारा जूएके लिये बुलवाया, उस समय तुम्हारा धर्म कहाँ चला गया था? ।। यदाभिमन्युं बहवो युद्धे जघ्नुर्महारथा: । परिवार्य रणे बाल॑ क््व ते धर्मस्तदा गत:,“जब युद्धमें तुम बहुत-से महारथियोंने मिलकर बालक अभिमन्युको चारों ओरसे घेरकर मार डाला था, उस समय तुम्हारा धर्म कहाँ चला गया था?
sañjaya uvāca |
karṇa! punaḥ rājyasya lobhena patitvā tvaṃ śakuneḥ mantrānusāreṇa yadā pāṇḍavān punar api dyūtāya āhvayāḥ, tadā te dharmaḥ kva gataḥ? ||
yadābhimanyum bahavo yuddhe jaghnur mahārathāḥ |
parivārya raṇe bālaṃ kva te dharmas tadā gataḥ ||
सञ्जय उवाच—कर्ण! राज्यलुब्धः पुनः शकुनेर्मन्त्रणमाश्रित्य यदा पाण्डवान् द्यूतायाह्वयसि, क्व ते धर्मस्तदा गतः । यदाभिमन्युं बहवो युद्धे जघ्नुर्महारथाः । परिवार्य रणे बालं क्व ते धर्मस्तदा गतः ॥
संजय उवाच
The verse uses pointed rhetorical questions to expose moral inconsistency: claiming righteousness in war is hollow if one earlier enabled injustice (the renewed dice-game) and participated in an unethical killing (the collective slaying of Abhimanyu). Dharma is presented as continuous accountability across actions, not a label invoked selectively.
Sanjaya addresses Karna and recalls two notorious episodes: Karna’s role in urging the Pandavas to be summoned again for gambling under Shakuni’s advice, and the later battlefield event where multiple Kaurava-side warriors encircled and killed the young Abhimanyu. These are cited to challenge Karna’s moral standing.