Shloka 11
Chapter 137: Yuyudhāna (Sātyaki) Slays Somadatta; Yudhiṣṭhira Redirected from Droṇa
यो5जयत् समरे कर्ण पुरंदर इवासुरम्
yo 'jayat samare karṇa purandara ivāsuram
قال دِهْرِتَرَاشْتْرَا: «ذاك الذي هزم كارنا في المعركة—كما قهر بوراندارا (إندرا) قديماً أحد الأسورا.»
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the Mahābhārata’s recurring insight that martial prowess is not absolute: even a celebrated hero like Karṇa can be overcome. By invoking Indra’s victory over an asura, it suggests that victory is shaped by larger forces—destiny, divine order, and the ethical momentum of the conflict—beyond mere strength.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks about (or remarks upon) the warrior who managed to defeat Karṇa in the fighting. He emphasizes the feat by comparing it to Indra (Purandara) defeating an asura, thereby magnifying the significance of Karṇa’s setback within the ongoing war.