Shloka 53
Karna Reproves Shalya; Brahmin Reports on Bāhlīkas; Shalya’s Universalizing Rebuttal (कर्ण–शल्य संवादः)
तस्य दिव्यं धनु: श्रेष्ठ गाण्डीवमजितं युधि । विजयं च महद्दिव्यं ममापि धनुरुत्तमम्
tasya divyaṃ dhanuḥ śreṣṭha gāṇḍīvam ajitaṃ yudhi | vijayaṃ ca mahad divyaṃ mamāpi dhanur uttamam ||
Taglay niya ang kataas-taasang banal na busog—ang Gandiva—na di matatalo sa digmaan. Ngunit mayroon din akong dakila at banal na busog na tinatawag na Vijaya, isang sandatang napakahusay sa aking mga kamay.
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the warrior ethos of measuring oneself against a renowned opponent: Karna acknowledges Arjuna’s celebrated weapon yet asserts his own comparable strength. Ethically, it reflects how pride and confidence can motivate valor, while also foreshadowing that mere possession of divine weapons does not alone determine the moral or final outcome of war.
In the Karṇa Parva, as the battle intensifies, Karna speaks in a competitive, self-affirming tone. He refers to Arjuna’s famed bow Gāṇḍīva as invincible in battle, and counters that he too possesses a great divine bow named Vijaya, asserting readiness to match Arjuna’s prowess.