Shloka 47
धर्मरहस्योपदेशः
Dharma-rahasya Instruction: Vows, Truth, and Non-injury
बलवान् भीमसेनके हाथसे छूटकर वज्र और विद्युतके समान शब्द करनेवाले उस बाणने रणभूमिमें कर्णको चीर डाला, मानो वज्रके वेगने पर्वतको विदीर्ण कर दिया हो ।। स भीमसेनाभिहत: सूतपुत्र: कुरूद्वह । निषसाद रथोपस्थे विसंज्ञ: पृतनापति:
balavān bhīmasenake hāthase chūṭakara vajra-vidyut-samāna-śabdaṃ karanevāle us bāṇane raṇabhūmim̐ karṇako cīr ḍālā, māno vajravegene parvatako vidīrṇa kar diyā ho || sa bhīmasenābhihataḥ sūtaputraḥ kurūdvaha | niṣasāda rathopasthe visaṃjñaḥ pṛtanāpatiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Escaping from mighty Bhīmasena’s grasp, that arrow—crackling like a thunderbolt and lightning—tore through Karṇa on the battlefield, as though a mountain were being split by the rush of a vajra. Struck by Bhīmasena, the charioteer’s son Karṇa, O best of the Kurus, sank down upon the chariot-seat, the commander of the host falling unconscious. The scene underscores the brutal impartiality of war: prowess and status alike are brought low when fate and force converge, and even celebrated heroes become vulnerable in a moment.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the stark ethic of the battlefield: in war, even the greatest commanders are subject to sudden reversal. Strength, reputation, and rank do not guarantee safety; the narrative stresses impermanence and the relentless consequences of martial action within kṣatriya-dharma.
Sañjaya describes an arrow that slips from Bhīma’s hand and strikes Karṇa with thunderbolt-like force. Karṇa—called the sūtaputra and the army commander—collapses onto the chariot-seat, losing consciousness.