Shloka 20
कर्णेन युधिष्ठिरानीकविदारणम् / Karṇa’s Breach of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Battle-Line
मन्दर: पर्वतश्नाक्षो जड्घा तस्य महानदी
Mandaraḥ parvataśnākṣo jaḍghā tasya mahānadī.
دُریودھن نے کہا— “مندر پہاڑ کی مانند اس کا کندھا ہے؛ اور اس کی ران ایک عظیم دریا کے برابر ہے۔”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse illustrates how epic war rhetoric elevates a warrior by comparing his body to immense natural forms (mountain, river), showing the persuasive power of praise in sustaining morale and allegiance—while also hinting at the ethical tension of glorifying sheer strength in a destructive conflict.
Duryodhana is describing (and extolling) a warrior’s formidable physique through metaphors: a shoulder like the Mandara mountain and a thigh like a great river, as part of a broader effort to inspire confidence in battle.