Shloka 12
अौर्ध्वदेहिक-श्राद्धे दानयज्ञविस्तारः | Expansion of the Aurdhvadehika Śrāddha and the Donation-Rite
अभिमन्योश्व बालस्य विनाशं रणमूर्थनि । कर्णस्य च महाबाहो संग्रामेष्वपलायिन:
abhimanyor va bālasya vināśaṃ raṇamūrdhani | karṇasya ca mahābāho saṃgrāmeṣv apalāyinaḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Remembering the ruin of the young Abhimanyu at the very forefront of battle—an act marked by unfairness—and also the slaying of Karṇa, the mighty-armed one who never turned his back in war (killed when he was at a disadvantage and not properly recognized), they became inwardly agitated and restless, tormented by the moral weight of these events.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how violations of dharma in warfare—especially the killing of a young warrior by unfair means and the slaying of a steadfast fighter in a compromised moment—leave lasting moral anguish. Even after victory, the conscience remains troubled when ethical boundaries are crossed.
Vaiśaṃpāyana recounts that the survivors (in the Ashramavāsika context) repeatedly recall two painful war episodes: Abhimanyu’s destruction at the battle-front and Karṇa’s death despite his reputation for never retreating. These memories make them restless and distressed.