Shloka 40
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ५९
Arjuna Breaks the Encirclement; Bhīma Reinforces
पश्य कर्ण रणे पार्थ श्वेतच्छत्रविराजितम् | उदयं पर्वतं यद्वच्छशाड्केनाभिशोभितम्
paśya karṇa raṇe pārtha śvetacchatravirājitam | udayaṃ parvataṃ yadvac chaśāṅkenābhiśobhitam ||
Sañjaya sprach: „Sieh, o Pārtha, Karṇa auf dem Schlachtfeld, strahlend unter einem weißen königlichen Schirm. Er gleicht dem Berg des Ostens, den der Mond darüber leuchtend macht.“ Der Vers rahmt Karṇas kriegerische Erscheinung in königliche und kosmische Bilder und hebt hervor, wie äußerer Glanz und Kriegesehre die innere Gefahr und die moralische Spannung eines brudermörderischen Konflikts verdecken können.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how war exalts warriors with signs of honor and grandeur (the white parasol, cosmic comparisons), yet such splendor does not resolve the deeper ethical strain of the conflict; it invites reflection on the difference between outward glory and the inner moral cost of battle.
Sañjaya, narrating the battle to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, points out Karṇa’s striking appearance on the battlefield and addresses Arjuna as ‘Pārtha,’ comparing Karṇa’s radiance under a white parasol to the eastern mountain beautified by the moon.