संजय उवाच
एवं ब्रुवाणं कर्णं तु कृपः शारद्वतो ऽब्रवीत् ॥
स्मयन्न् इव महाबाहुः सूतपुत्रम् इदं वचः ॥
शोभनं शोभनं कर्ण सनाथः कुरुपुंगवः ॥
त्वया नाथेन राधेय वचसा यदि सिध्यति ॥
बहुशः कत्थसे कर्ण कौरव्यस्य समीपतः ॥
न तु ते विक्रमः कश् चिद् दृश्यते बलम् एव वा ॥
समागमः पाण्डुसुतैर् दृष्टस् ते बहुशो युधि ॥
सर्वत्र निर्जितश् चासि पाण्डवैः सूतनन्दन ॥
saṃjaya uvāca
evaṃ bruvāṇaṃ karṇaṃ tu kṛpaḥ śāradvato 'bravīt ||
smayann iva mahābāhuḥ sūtaputram idaṃ vacaḥ ||
śobhanaṃ śobhanaṃ karṇa sanāthaḥ kurupuṃgavaḥ ||
tvayā nāthena rādheya vacasā yadi sidhyati ||
bahuśaḥ katthase karṇa kauravyasya samīpataḥ ||
na tu te vikramaḥ kaś cid dṛśyate balam eva vā ||
samāgamaḥ pāṇḍusutair dṛṣṭas te bahuśo yudhi ||
sarvatra nirjitaś cāsi pāṇḍavaiḥ sūtanandana ||
To Karna, who had spoken thus, Kripa Sharadvata, the mighty-armed one, spoke as if smiling, this word to the son of the charioteer: "Splendid, splendid, Karna! The bull among the Kurus has found a protector — you, his protector, Radheya — if it all comes to pass by word. Repeatedly you boast, Karna, before the Kauravya, but none of your valor is seen, nor any strength. A meeting with the sons of Pandu has been seen of you many times in battle, and everywhere you have been defeated by the Pandavas, son of the charioteer."
de7a13f72a56 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:40:45 PM UTC
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Kripa checks the boasting with biting irony: "splendid! if only matters could be settled by word." Telling is the contrast: much talk, no visible valor. The verse teaches that bragging before the deed is foolish to the wise; and one who has been defeated many times over forfeits the right to loud vows — for a word unbacked by deed only exposes its own emptiness.