Shloka 3
धृतराष्ट्र रवाच यौ तौ कर्णश्न भीमश्च सम्प्रयुद्धो महाबलौ । अर्जुनस्य रथोपान्ते कीदृश: सो5भवद् रण:,धृतराष्ट्रने पूछा--संजय! महाबली कर्ण और भीमसेनने अर्जुनके रथके निकट जाकर जो बड़े वेगसे युद्ध किया, उनका वह संग्राम कैसा हुआ?
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | yau tau karṇaś ca bhīmaś ca samprayuddhau mahābalau | arjunasya rathopānte kīdṛśaḥ so 'bhavad raṇaḥ ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Sañjaya, when the mighty warriors Karṇa and Bhīmasena closed in near Arjuna’s chariot and fought with full force, what was that battle like?”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the epic’s ethical tension: rulers and elders seek knowledge of the war’s course, yet their questions also reveal attachment and anxiety over outcomes. It frames battle as a test of kṣatriya prowess while implicitly reminding that such power operates within the larger moral and karmic consequences of the war.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks Sañjaya to describe the fierce clash between Karṇa and Bhīma as they approach Arjuna’s chariot and engage in intense combat, setting up a detailed account of the encounter.