तस्य सर्वस्य दुष्टात्मा कर्णो वै मूलमित्युत । “निष्पाप अर्जुन! रात्रिके समय पुत्रसहित तुम्हारी माता कुन्तीको जला देने और तुम सब लोगोंके साथ जूआ खेलनेके कार्यमें जो दुर्योधनकी प्रवृत्ति हुई थी
tasya sarvasya duṣṭātmā karṇo vai mūlam ity uta |
Sinabi ni Sanjaya: “Sa lahat ng masasamang gawaing iyon, si Karna—na may masamang hangarin—ang tunay na ugat.” Sa pananaw ng dharma, itinatakda ng talatang ito ang pangunahing pananagutang moral sa sunod-sunod na sabwatan kay Karna, na inilalarawan siyang hindi lamang kasabwat kundi siyang pinagmumulan at nagtutulak ng mga gawaing lumalabag sa dharma at tumatarget sa mga walang sala.
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights moral causality and responsibility: sustained wrongdoing often has instigators, and identifying the ‘root’ emphasizes accountability for initiating and fueling adharma, not merely participating in it.
Sanjaya, narrating events and their moral background, states that among the various wrongful schemes attributed to the Kaurava side, Karna is to be regarded as the principal source or instigator.