Shloka 23
कर्णस्य सेनापत्याभिषेकः | Karṇa’s Consecration as Commander-in-Chief
संग्रामनिर्जिताँललोकान् गमितौ द्रोणसायकै: । पुरुजित् और कुन्तिभोज दोनों सव्यसाची अर्जुनके मामा थे। द्रोणाचार्यके सायकोंने उन्हें भी उन लोकोंमें पहुँचा दिया
saṅgrāma-nirjitāṁl lokān gamitau droṇa-sāyakaiḥ | purujit aura kuntibhoja donoṁ savyasācī arjunake māmā the | droṇācārya-ke sāyakoṁ ne unheṁ bhī un lokoṁ meṁ pahuṁcā diyā, jo saṅgrāma meṁ māre jāne-vāle vīroṁ ko prāpta hote haiṁ || 22 e || abhibhūḥ kāśirājaś ca kāśikair bahubhir vṛtaḥ ||
Sañjaya sprach: Purujit und Kuntibhoja—beide mütterliche Oheime Arjunas, des beidhändigen Bogenschützen—wurden durch Droṇas Pfeile in jene Welten gesandt, die den Helden zuteilwerden, die im Kampf fallen. Ebenso werden Abhibhū und der König von Kāśī genannt, von vielen Kāśika-Kriegern umringt, im fortlaufenden Bericht vom Gemetzel auf dem Schlachtfeld—wo kriegerische Tapferkeit anerkannt wird, während Krieg Verwandtschaft und Pflicht zerreißt.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage reflects the epic’s war-ethic: warriors who fall in righteous battle are said to attain ‘worlds’ reserved for such heroes. At the same time, it underscores the tragic cost of dharma in war—kinship (Arjuna’s maternal uncles) does not shield anyone when duty and the momentum of battle prevail.
Sañjaya reports battlefield deaths: Purujit and Kuntibhoja, identified as Arjuna’s maternal uncles, are slain by Droṇa’s arrows and are said to reach the heroic afterlife. The narration continues by mentioning Abhibhū and the king of Kāśī, surrounded by many Kāśika fighters, as the battle’s casualties and movements are being cataloged.