Shloka 196
धृतराष्ट्र–संजय संवादः: कर्ण–घटोत्कचयोर्निशायुद्धवर्णनम्
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya Dialogue: Description of the Night Engagement of Karṇa and Ghaṭotkaca
हन्तास्मि वृषसेन ते प्रेक्षमाणस्य संयुगे । “तू अपने सारे कर्तव्य पूर्ण कर ले। तुझे भारी भय आ पहुँचा है। मैं युद्धस्थलमें तेरे देखते-देखते तेरे पुत्र वृषसेनको मार डालूँगा
hantāsmi vṛṣasena te prekṣamāṇasya saṃyuge |
Sañjaya said: “In this battle, while you look on, I shall slay your son Vṛṣasena. Fulfil all your duties as you deem fit—great fear has come upon you.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the harsh ethical landscape of war: even familial bonds and the duty to protect one’s kin are tested by the inevitability of violence and the demands of kṣatriya-dharma. It highlights how fear and impending loss become instruments that drive decisions on the battlefield.
Sañjaya reports a battlefield taunt/threat: an opponent declares that, in the midst of combat, he will kill Vṛṣasena while the addressed person watches. The statement is meant to intimidate and to foreshadow imminent tragedy within the Kaurava camp.