Shloka 116
Somadatta’s Kṣātra-Dharma Accusation; Night Combat, Māyā, and the Fall of Ghaṭotkaca
Droṇa-parva, Adhyāya 131
रुरोध मार्ग भीमस्य वातस्येव महीरुह: । अत्यन्त अमर्षशील कर्णने रणभूमिमें अपना बल दिखानेके लिये अपने विशाल धनुषको खींचते और युद्धकी अभिलाषा रखते हुए, जैसे वृक्ष वायुका मार्ग रोकता है, उसी प्रकार भीमसेनका मार्ग अवरुद्ध कर दिया
sañjaya uvāca |
rurodha mārgaṃ bhīmasya vātasyeva mahīruhaḥ |
Sañjaya said: Karṇa, fiercely intolerant of any slight and eager to display his prowess on the battlefield, drew his great bow with a thirst for combat and blocked Bhīma’s advance—just as a mighty tree stands in the way of the wind’s course.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a vivid simile—tree obstructing wind—to show how, in war, powerful personalities and unchecked pride can become literal and moral obstacles. It hints at the ethical tension of kṣatriya valor: courage and skill are admirable, yet when driven by amarsa (resentful intolerance), they intensify conflict rather than restrain it.
Sañjaya narrates that Karṇa, eager to prove his strength in battle, draws his great bow and physically blocks Bhīma’s path on the battlefield, preventing Bhīma’s advance.