Shloka 16
Karna Reproves Shalya; Brahmin Reports on Bāhlīkas; Shalya’s Universalizing Rebuttal (कर्ण–शल्य संवादः)
जैसे प्राण-संकटकालमें लोग अपने बन्धुजनोंका स्मरण करते हैं, उसी प्रकार समस्त सेनाओंमेंसे केवल महाधनुर्धर सूतपुत्र कर्णकी ओर ही उसका मन गया ।। धृतराष्ट्र रवाच ततो दुर्योधन: सूत पश्चात् किमकरोत्तदा | यद्वोडइगमन्मनो मन्दा: कर्ण वैकर्तनं प्रति
sañjaya uvāca | yathā prāṇa-saṅkaṭa-kāle lokāḥ sva-bandhu-janān smaranti, tathā sarvāsu senāsu kevalaṁ mahā-dhanurdharaṁ sūta-putraṁ karṇam eva prati tasya mano jagāma || dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | tato duryodhanaḥ sūta paścāt kim akarot tadā | yad voḍi-gaman-mano mandāḥ karṇa vaikartanaṁ prati ||
Sañjaya thưa: Cũng như trong phút nguy nan đến tính mạng, người ta nhớ đến quyến thuộc của mình, thì giữa muôn quân ấy, tâm trí chàng chỉ hướng về Karṇa—con của người đánh xe, bậc đại cung thủ. Dhṛtarāṣṭra hỏi: Rồi sau đó, hỡi Sañjaya, Duryodhana đã làm gì, khi tâm trí hắn—bối rối và dao động—đã hướng về Karṇa Vaikartana như thế?
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
In moments of extreme danger, the mind instinctively clings to what it trusts most; here, Duryodhana’s exclusive turning toward Karna shows how attachment and reliance can narrow judgment and shape ethical choices in war.
Sanjaya reports that, amid the turmoil of battle, Duryodhana’s thoughts fix solely on Karna as his chief support. Dhritarashtra then asks Sanjaya what Duryodhana did next after his anxious mind turned toward Karna.