Shloka 15
Aśvatthāman’s Arrow-Screen and the Confrontation with Yudhiṣṭhira (द्रौणि–युधिष्ठिर-संग्रामः)
त्वंतुदुष्प्रकृतिर्मूडो महायुद्धेष्वकोविद:
tvaṃ tu duṣprakṛtir mūḍo mahāyuddheṣv akovidaḥ
Karna said: “But you are of a wicked disposition—deluded and unskilled in the conduct of great battles.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The line frames a wartime ethical critique: in a life-and-death arena like a great battle, inner disposition (prakṛti) and clear judgment matter as much as valor. Karna condemns a person whose flawed character and delusion lead to incompetence, implying that unfitness for responsibility endangers others and violates the demands of kṣatriya conduct.
In Karṇa-parvan, amid escalating combat and strategic pressure, Karna addresses an opponent or associate with harsh reproach. He characterizes the addressee as ill-natured, confused, and incapable in major warfare—language typical of battlefield exchanges where morale, authority, and tactical credibility are contested.