कर्णेन व्यूहविधानम् — Karṇa’s Battle Formation and the Pāṇḍava Counter-Plan
Adhyāya 31
तं॑ मामेवंविधं राजन् समर्थमरिनिग्रहे
taṁ mām evaṁvidhaṁ rājan samartham arinigrahe
ఓ రాజా, నేను ఇలాంటి వాడనై శత్రువులను అణచుటకు పూర్తిగా సమర్థుడను—
शल्य उवाच
The line foregrounds the kṣatriya ideal of competence in protecting the realm by restraining hostile forces; it also sets up an ethical tension common in the epic—claims of prowess must be aligned with wise counsel and right conduct, not mere self-assertion.
Śalya addresses the king (in this context, typically Karṇa) and begins a statement emphasizing his own capability in suppressing enemies, as part of a larger exchange of counsel and provocation amid the pressures of battlefield leadership.