Shloka 31
रात्रौ युद्धप्रवृत्तिः — Night Battle Begins; Duryodhana’s Protective Orders for Droṇa
Droṇa-parva 139
शत्रुंजय-, शत्रुसह, चित्र (चित्रवाण), चित्रायुध (अग्रायुध), दृढ़ (दृढवर्मा), चित्रसेन (उग्रसेन) और विकर्ण--इन सातों भाइयोंको भीमसेनने मार गिराया ।। पुत्राणां तव सर्वेषां निहतानां वृकोदर: । शोचत्यतिभृशं दुःखाद् विकर्ण पाण्डव: प्रियम्,राजन! वहाँ मारे गये आपके सभी पुत्रोंमेंसे विकर्ण पाण्डवोंको अधिक प्रिय था। पाण्डुनन्दन भीमसेन उसके लिये अत्यन्त दुःखी होकर शोक करने लगे
sañjaya uvāca |
śatruñjayaḥ śatrusahaś ca citraś citravāṇaś citrāyudhaḥ (agrāyudhaḥ) |
dṛḍho (dṛḍhavarmā) citrasenaḥ (ugrasenaḥ) ca vikarṇaś ca—ete sapta bhrātaraḥ bhīmasenena nipātitāḥ ||
putrāṇāṃ tava sarveṣāṃ nihatānāṃ vṛkodaraḥ |
śocaty atibhṛśaṃ duḥkhād vikarṇaṃ pāṇḍava-priyam, rājan ||
Sanjaya said: Bhimasena struck down those seven brothers—Śatruñjaya, Śatrusaha, Citra (also called Citravāṇa), Citrāyudha (also called Agrāyudha), Dṛḍha (also called Dṛḍhavarmā), Citrasena (also called Ugrasena), and Vikarṇa. And among all your sons slain there, O King, Vikarṇa was especially dear to the Pāṇḍavas; therefore Vṛkodara (Bhima), overwhelmed by sorrow, grieved intensely for him.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a dharma-yuddha, moral perception is not erased by hostility: a person’s integrity can earn esteem from opponents, and the grief of the victor can be real. The verse underscores that righteousness and personal virtue may be acknowledged across battle lines, complicating a simplistic ‘enemy’ label.
Sanjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhima has slain seven Kaurava brothers, including Vikarṇa. He adds that Vikarṇa was especially liked by the Pāṇḍavas, and thus Bhima—despite killing him in battle—laments him deeply.