शल्य उवाच मा सूतपुत्र दानेन सौवर्णं हस्तिषड्वम्। प्रयच्छ पुरुषायाद्य द्रक्ष्यसि त्वं धनंजयम्॥
Shalya said O son of a charioteer, give away to any man a golden car with six bulls as large as the elephants you will see Dhananjaya today.
बाल्यदिह त्वं त्यजसि वसु वैश्रवणो यथा) अयत्नेनैव राधेय द्रष्टास्यद्य धनजयम्॥
Foolishly you are giving away your wealth as if you are Vaisravana, the king of riches. Without any trouble, O son of Radha, you will see Dhananjaya today.
परान् सृजसि यद् वित्तं किंचित्त्वं बहु मूढवत्। अपात्रदाने ये दोषास्तान् मोहान्नावबुध्यसे॥
You are giving away your riches as if they are nothing like a highly ignorant man. You do not out of ignorance perceive the demerit attached to gifts made to unworthy persons.
यत् त्वं प्रेरयसे वित्तं बहु तेन शक्यं बहुविधैर्यज्ञैर्यष्टुं सूतं यजस्व तैः॥
You may perform many Yajnas with the immense wealth that you are thus distributing. Therefore, O charioteer's son, do you perform Yajnas.
यच प्रार्थयसे हन्तुं कृष्णौ मोहाद् वृथैव तत्। न हि शुश्रुम सम्मः क्रोष्ट्रा सिंहौ निपातितौ॥
But vain is the desire that you cherish out of folly, for destroying Krishna and Arjuna. We have never heard of a couple of lions overthrown by a fox.
अप्रार्थितं प्रार्थयसे सुहृदो न हि सन्ति ते। ये त्वां निवारयन्त्याशु प्रपतन्तं हुताशने॥ खलु त्वया।
You seek what you should never do. You have no such friends as will prevent you form immediately falling into fire.
कार्याकार्यं न जानीघे कालपक्वोऽस्यसंशयम्। बह्वबद्धमकर्णीयं को हि ब्रूयाजिजीविषुः॥
You are unable to distinguish between what you should do and should not. Forsooth, the lease of your life has run out. What man, desirous of living, would give vent to such incoherent words unworthy of being listened to.
समुद्रतरणं दो• कण्ठे बद्ध्वा यथा शिलाम्। गिर्यग्राद् वा निपतनं ताद्दक् तव चिर्कीर्षितम्॥
This your attempt is like that of a person, who, having tied round his neck a heavy stone, wishes to cross the ocean with his two arms or like that of a man who wishes to leap down from the summit of a mountain.
सहित: सर्वयोधैस्त्वं व्यूढानीकैः सुरक्षितः। धनंजयेन युध्यस्व श्रेयश्चेत् प्राप्तुमिच्छसि॥
If you wish to secure your well-being, fight with Dhananjaya from the division of your own army well protected and aided by your warriors.
हितार्थं धार्तराष्ट्रस्य ब्रवीमि त्वां न हिंसया। श्रद्धस्वैवं मया प्रोक्तं यदि तेऽस्ति जिजीविषा॥
I tell you this for the well-being of Duryodhana and not out of any ill will for you. If you wish to preserve your life obey my words.
कर्ण उवाच स्वबाहुवीर्यमाश्रित्य प्रार्थयाम्यर्जुनं रणे। त्वं तु मित्रमुखः शत्रुर्मा भीषयितुमिच्छसि॥
Karna said Depending on the strength of my own arms I wish to meet Arjuna in battle. You are an enemy with the look of a friend and wish to frighten me.
न मामस्मादभिप्रायात् कश्चिदद्य निवतये । अपीन्द्रो वज्रमुद्यम्य किमु मर्त्यः कचन॥
No one will be able to make me change this resolution, not even Indra taking up his thunderbolt, what to speak of an insignificant mortal?
संजय उवाच इति कर्णस्य वाक्यान्ते शल्यः प्राहोत्तरं वचः। चुकोपयिषुरत्यर्थं कर्ण मद्रेश्वरः पुनः॥
Sanjaya said After Karna had his say, Shalya the king of Madra, with a view to provoke him greatly, said in reply.
यदा वै त्वां फाल्गुनवेगयुक्ता ज्याचोदिता हस्तवता विसृष्टाः। स्तदा तप्स्यर्जुनस्यानुयोगात्॥
When keen edged and Kanka feathered arrows, shot off his bow. by the powerful Phalguna with all his energy, will come upon you, you will repent for your encounter with that hero.
यदा दिव्यं धनुरादाय पार्थः प्रतापयन् पृतनां सव्यमाची। स्तदा पश्चात् तप्स्यसे सूतपित्र॥
When Partha, otherwise called Savyasachin, taking up his celestial bow, will scorch the Kuru army and assail you greatly with his keen edged arrows then O charioteer's son, you will repent for your folly.
बालश्चन्द्रं मातुरङ्के शयानो यथा कश्चित् प्रार्थयतेऽपहर्तुम्। तद्वन्मोहाद् द्योतमान रथस्थं सम्प्रार्थयस्यर्जुनं जेतुमद्य॥
Like a child, on mother's lap seeking to catch hold of the sun, you, out of your folly, wish to defect the effulgent Arjuna stationed on his car.
त्रिशूलमाश्रित्य सुतीक्ष्णधारं सर्वाणि गात्राणि विघर्षसि त्वम्। सुतीक्ष्णधारोपमकर्मणा त्वं युयुत्ससे योऽर्जुनेनाद्य कर्ण॥
By desiring to fight, O Karna, today with Arjuna of illustrious feats, you have addressed yourself to rule your body against the keen edges of a trident.
क्रुद्धं सिंह केसरिणं बृहन्तं बालो मूढः क्षुद्रमृगस्तरस्वी। समाह्वयेत् तद्वदेतत् तवाद्य समाह्वानं सूतपुत्रार्जुनस्य॥
O charioteer's son, your challenge of Arjuna is like that of an over active little deer against a huge angry lion.
मा सूतपुत्रालय राजपुत्रं महावीर्यं केसरिणं यथैव। वने शृगाल: पिशितेन तृप्तो मा पार्थमासाद्य विनश्यसि त्वम्॥
O charioteer's son, do not challenge that highly energetic prince like a fox, gratified with meat, challenging a lion. Do not be slain by encountering Arjuna.
ईषादन्तं महानागं प्रभिन्नकरटामुखम्। शशको ह्वयसे युद्ध कर्ण पार्थं धनंजयम्॥
O Karna, your challenge of Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha, is like that of a hare challenging a powerful elephant with tusks large as ploughshares and with temporal juice trickling out of its mouth and temples.
विलस्थं कृष्णसर्प त्वं बाल्यात् काष्ठेन विध्यसि। महाविषं पूर्णकोपं यत् पार्थं योद्धुमिच्छसि॥
By wishing to fight with Partha you are, out of folly, striking with a piece of wood the black cobra of deadly venom furiously excited within its hole.
सिंह केसरिणं क्रुद्धमतिक्रम्याभिनर्दसे। शृगाल इव मूढस्त्वं नृसिंह कर्ण पाण्डवम्॥
You are a fool to yell at Arjuna, the best of men, disregarding him like a jackal yelling at an excited lion.
सुपर्णं पतगश्रेष्ठ वैनतेयं तरस्विनम्। भोगीवाह्वयसे पाते कर्ण पार्थं धनंजयम्॥
As a snake, for its own destruction, encounters the best of birds Garuda, highly active and of beautiful feathers, so do you O Karna, challenge Dhananjaya the son of Pritha.
सर्वाम्भसां निधि भीमं मूर्तिमन्त झषायुतम्। चन्द्रोदये विवर्धन्तमप्लव: सन् तितीर्षसि॥
You wish to cross, without a raft at the rise of the moon, the ocean, the receptacle of all waters with dreadful huge waves and teeming with aquatic animals.
ऋषभं दुन्दुभिग्रीवं तीक्ष्णशृङ्गं प्रहारिणम्। वत्स आह्वयसे युद्धे कर्ण पार्थं धनंजयम्॥
O Karna, your challenge of Dhananjaya is like that of a calf against a fearful bull of sharpened horns and with a neck thick as a drum.
महामेघं महाघोरं दर्दुरः प्रतिनर्दसि। कामतोयप्रदं लोके नरपर्जन्यमर्जुनम्॥
Your roaring at Arjuna, the deity of clouds among men, like that of frog at a dreadful huge cloud discharging copious showers of rain.
यथा च स्वगृहस्थः श्वा व्याघ्रं वनगतं भषेत्। तथा त्वं भषसे कर्ण नरव्याघ्रं धनंजयम्॥
Like a dog barking from within his master's house at a forest-ranging tiger you bark at Dhananjaya, the foremost of men.
शृगालोऽपि वने कर्ण शशैः परिवृतो वसन्। मन्यते सिंहमात्मानं यावत् सिंह न पश्यति॥
While living in the forest in the midst of hares a jackal, O Karna, considers himself a lion till he actually sees the latter.
तथा त्वमपि राधेय सिंहमात्मानमिच्छसि। अपश्यशत्रुदमनं नरव्याघ्र धनंजयम्॥
So do you, O son of Radha, consider yourself a lion for you do not see that subduer of foes, that foremost of men, Dhananjaya.
व्यानं त्वं मन्यसेऽऽत्मानं यावत् कृष्णौ न पश्यसि। समास्थितावेकरथे सूर्याचन्द्रमसाविव॥
You consider yourself a lion for you have not seen Krishna and Arjuna stationed on the same car like the sun and moon.
यावद् गाण्डीवघोषं त्वं न शृणोषि महाहवे। तावदेव त्वया कर्ण शक्यं वक्तुं यथेच्छसि॥
As long as you do not hear the twang of Gandiva in battle, so long you are able to do what you please.
रथशब्दधनुः शब्दैर्नादयन्त दिशो दश। नर्दन्तमिव शार्दूलं दृष्ट्वा क्रोष्टा भविष्यसि॥
Beholding the ten quarters filled with the sound of his car and the twang of his bow and him roaring like a tiger you will become a jackal.
नित्यमेव शृगालस्तवं नित्यं सिंहो धनंजयः। वीरप्रद्वेषणान्मूढ तस्मात् क्रोष्टेव लक्ष्यसे॥
You are always a jackal and Dhananjaya always a lion. On account of your envy and hatred for heroes, you appear a jackal.
यथाखुःस्याद् विडालश्च व्याघ्रश्च बलाबले। यथा शृगाल: सिंहश्च यथा च शशकुञ्जरौ॥ यथानृतं च सत्यं च यथा चापि विषामृते। तथा त्वमपि पार्थश्च प्रख्यातावात्मकर्मभिः॥
As a mouse and a cat are to each other in strength, or a fox and a lion or a hare and an elephant, as falsehood and truth, ambrosia and poison so you and Partha are known to all by your respective deeds.