कर्णपरर्वणि त्रयोचत्वारिंशदध्यायः (Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 43) — Kṛṣṇa’s Battlefield Assessment and the Reversal Around Bhīma
मत्तावगीतैरविविधै: खरोष्टनिनदोपमै: । अनावृता मैथुने ता: कामचाराश्न सर्वश:
mattāvagītair avividhaiḥ kharoṣṭa-ninada-upamaiḥ | anāvṛtā maithune tāḥ kāmacārāś ca sarvaśaḥ ||
وہ نشے میں طرح طرح کے گیت گاتی ہیں، جن کی آواز گدھوں کی رینک اور اونٹوں کی گرج جیسی ہوتی ہے۔ جماع کے وقت بھی وہ پردہ نہیں کرتیں؛ ہر طرح سے وہ اپنی مرضی پر چلنے والی ہیں۔
कर्ण उवाच
The verse functions as a moralizing critique: Karna condemns behavior driven by intoxication and unchecked desire, portraying it as shameless and socially degrading. It reflects the epic’s broader concern with self-control (dama), propriety (ācāra), and the ethical consequences of kāma when ungoverned.
In Karna Parva, Karna is speaking harshly, using vivid animal-sound comparisons to insult and denounce certain women’s conduct. The line is part of a rhetorical passage where he characterizes them as drunken, loud, immodest, and acting without restraint.