Shloka 12
भीष्मरक्षण-प्रकरणम् / The Protective Screen around Bhīṣma and the Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Clash
विजित्य च यदा कर्ण सदा पुरुषमानिनम् । उत्तरायै ददौ वस्त्र पर्याप्तं तन्निदर्शनम्
vijitya ca yadā karṇaṃ sadā puruṣamāninam | uttarāyai dadau vastraṃ paryāptaṃ tannidarśanam ||
சஞ்சயன் கூறினான்—அப்போது எப்போதும் தன் ஆண்மைப் பெருமையில் திளைத்த கர்ணனையும் வென்று, அர்ஜுனன் அவன் ஆடையைப் பறித்து உத்தரைக்கு அளித்தான். இந்த எடுத்துக்காட்டும் போதுமானதே.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a concrete precedent to make a point: even a famed warrior who prides himself on valor can be overcome, and an act (taking and gifting a garment) is cited as ‘sufficient evidence’—highlighting how pride is checked by circumstance and how argumentation in the epic often relies on illustrative examples (nidarśana).
Sañjaya recalls an earlier incident: Arjuna defeats Karṇa, takes Karṇa’s garment, and gives it to Uttarā. He presents this as an adequate illustrative proof for the point under discussion in the surrounding passage.