Shloka 73
भीष्म-पर्व अध्याय १०० — त्रिगर्त-आक्रमण, भीष्म-केन्द्रित पुनर्संयोजन, तथा शक्त्यस्त्र-विनिमय
भीष्म: शान्तनवस्तूर्णमपयातु महारणात् । कर्ण बोला--भरतश्रेष्ठी] शोक न करो। मैं तुम्हारा प्रिय कार्य करूँगा, परंतु शान्तनुनन्दन भीष्म शीघ्र ही महायुद्धसे हट जायेँ
Bhīṣmaḥ Śāntanavas tūrṇam apayātu mahāraṇāt. Karṇa uvāca—Bharataśreṣṭha, śokaṃ mā kṛthāḥ; ahaṃ tava priyaṃ kāryaṃ kariṣyāmi, kintu Śāntanunandanaḥ Bhīṣmaḥ śīghraṃ mahāyuddhāt nivartiṣyate.
Karna said: “O best of the Bharatas, do not grieve. I will accomplish what is dear to you; but Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, will quickly withdraw from this great battle.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a warrior’s counsel to a leader in crisis: restrain grief, maintain resolve, and act decisively. Ethically, it frames loyalty and duty as stabilizing forces in wartime leadership, even while acknowledging the changing fortunes of battle.
Karna addresses a Bharata leader (contextually a Kuru authority) to console him and promise to carry out what is desired. He also asserts that Bhishma—identified by epithets linking him to Shantanu—will soon withdraw from the great battle, implying an impending shift in command and battlefield power.