Shloka 6
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 19 — Saṃśaptaka–Trigarta Assault and Aindra-astra Counter
स पाण्ड्यो नृपतिमश्रेष्ठ: सर्वशस्त्रभूतां वर: । कर्णस्यानीकमहनत् परा भूत इवान्तक:
sa pāṇḍyo nṛpatim-śreṣṭhaḥ sarva-śastra-bhṛtāṃ varaḥ | karṇasyānīkam ahanat parābhūta ivāntakaḥ ||
قال سانجيا: «ذلك الملك البانديا—أشرف الملوك وأمهر حملة السلاح—شرع يقطع صفوف جيش كارنا، هائجًا كالموت نفسه حين يُهان. وفي المناخ الأخلاقي للحرب لا تُعرض ثورته على أنها قسوة مجردة، بل عزيمة ملكٍ كشتريٍّ شرسة تردّ الإهانة وتثبت مقامه بعملٍ حاسم في ساحة القتال.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames battlefield violence through the lens of kṣatriya honor: when a warrior-king is dishonoured, his response is portrayed as a grim, duty-bound ferocity. It highlights how reputation, self-respect, and the social code of warriors can intensify action in war, making wrath appear almost ‘death-like’ in its inevitability.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Pāṇḍya king—celebrated as an exceptional fighter—begins slaughtering Karṇa’s troops. His anger is compared to Antaka (Death) when insulted, emphasizing the scale and relentlessness of his assault.