Shloka 39
द्रौणि-पार्षतयोर्युद्धम् | The Duel of Aśvatthāmā
Drauṇi) and Dhṛṣṭadyumna (Pārṣata
जहि तूबरकं क्षिप्रं कर्णस्य बलमादधत् | बाणसमूहोंसे मोहित होनेके कारण उसे यह नहीं सूझता था कि अब क्या करना चाहिये। कर्णको इस प्रकार संकटमें पड़ा देख राजा दुर्योधन क्रोधसे काँपने-ला लगा और दुर्जयको आदेश देता हुआ बोला--*दुर्जय! जाओ। राधानन्दन कर्णको सामने ही पाण्डुपुत्र भीमसेन कालका ग्रास बनाना चाहता है। तुम कर्णका बल बढ़ाते हुए उस बिना दाढ़ी- मूँछके भुंडे भीमसेनको शीघ्र मार डालो” || ३७-३८ $ || एवमुक्तस्तथेत्युक्त्वा तव पुत्र॑ तवात्मज:
sañjaya uvāca | jahi tūbarakaṃ kṣipraṃ karṇasya balam ādadat | bāṇasamūhaiḥ saṃmohitaḥ sa naiva vyajānāt kiṃ nu kartavyam iti | karṇaṃ tathā saṅkaṭe magnaṃ dṛṣṭvā rājā duryodhanaḥ krodhena kampamānaḥ durjayam ājñāpayām āsa— “durjaya gaccha | rādhānandanaṃ karṇaṃ purataḥ sthita eva pāṇḍuputro bhīmasenaḥ kālasya grāsaṃ kartum icchati | tvaṃ karṇasya balaṃ vardhayan sa keśmaśru-rahitaṃ bhīmasenaṃ kṣipraṃ jahi” iti | evam uktaḥ ‘tatheti’ uktvā tava putraḥ tava ātmājaḥ …
Sanjaya said: “Strike down Tūbaraka quickly, for he is strengthening Karna.” Bewildered by volleys of arrows, Karna could not discern what ought to be done next. Seeing Karna thus caught in peril, King Duryodhana, trembling with anger, issued an order to Durjaya: “Durjaya, go. Bhimasena, the son of Pandu, standing right before him, seeks to make Karna—Radha’s son—food for Death. You, increasing Karna’s strength, quickly slay that beardless, rough Bhimasena.” Thus addressed, Duryodhana’s son replied, “So be it,” and …
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how anger and battlefield panic distort judgment: Karna, overwhelmed by arrow-volleys, loses clarity about what is ‘kartavya’ (the right next action), while Duryodhana’s wrath drives him to issue harsh, demeaning commands. Ethically, it illustrates the Mahabharata’s recurring warning that passion (krodha, moha) can eclipse discernment even among great warriors.
Sanjaya reports that Karna is in danger and mentally confused under heavy missile attack. Duryodhana, seeing Karna threatened by Bhima, orders Durjaya to intervene: first to kill Tūbaraka (who is aiding Karna’s side in some capacity) and then to strengthen Karna’s position and quickly slay Bhima. Durjaya accepts the order with ‘tatheti’ and moves to act.