Shloka 36
अजिशीर्षे प्रातःसंध्यायां संग्रामवर्णनम् / Dawn-Transition Battle at Ajiśīrṣa
Chapter 161
वहाँ हमने सूतपुत्र कर्णकी अद्भुत फुर्ती देखी, जिससे सब ओरसे प्रयत्न करनेपर भी शत्रुपक्षीय योद्धा उस युद्धस्थलमें कर्णको काबूमें नहीं कर पा रहे थे ।। निवार्य च शरौघांस्तान् पार्थिवानां महारथ: । युगेष्वीषासु च्छत्रेषु ध्वजेषु च हयेषु च
nivārya ca śaraughāṁs tān pārthivānāṁ mahārathaḥ | yugeṣv īṣāsu cchatreṣu dhvajeṣu ca hayeṣu ca ||
Sañjaya sprach: Dort sahen wir die wunderbare Gewandtheit Karnas, des Sūta-Sohnes; so sehr die feindlichen Krieger auch von allen Seiten drängten, vermochten sie ihn auf jenem Schlachtfeld nicht zu bändigen. Der große Wagenkämpfer Karna wehrte die dichten Pfeilschwärme der Könige ab und traf die Joche und Deichseln ihrer Wagen, ebenso ihre Schirme, Banner und Pferde.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how concentrated skill and presence of mind in battle can neutralize overwhelming attacks (śaraugha) and disable an enemy’s mobility and symbols of command (yoke, pole, banner, parasol). Ethically, it also points to the tragic intensity of Kurukṣetra: excellence in warfare can be awe-inspiring while simultaneously serving a destructive end, sharpening the tension between valor and dharma.
Sañjaya reports Karṇa’s dominance on the battlefield: he wards off volleys of arrows from many kings and then targets key chariot components and battlefield insignia—yokes, shafts, parasols, banners, and horses—thereby disrupting the enemy’s formations and making it difficult for the opposing side to restrain or overpower him.