Shloka 48
ततोड<ब्रुवन् कुरव: सर्व एव कर्ण दृष्टवा घोररूपां च मायाम् | शकत्या रक्षो जहि कर्ण्य तूर्ण नश्यन्त्येते कुरवो धार्तराष्ट्रा:,तत्पश्चात् राक्षषकी उस भयंकर मायाको देखकर सभी कौरव कर्णसे इस प्रकार बोले --'कर्ण! तुम आज (इन्द्रकी दी हुई) शक्तिसे तुरंत इस राक्षसको मार डालो, नहीं तो ये धृतराष्ट्रके पुत्र और कौरव नष्ट होते जा रहे हैं
tato ’bruvan kuravaḥ sarva eva karṇa dṛṣṭvā ghorarūpāṃ ca māyām | śaktyā rakṣo jahi karṇya tūṛṇaṃ naśyanty ete kuravo dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then all the Kurus, seeing that terrifying, rākṣasa-like illusion, spoke to Karṇa: “O Karṇa, quickly strike down this demon with the Śakti (the divine spear). Otherwise these Dhṛtarāṣṭras and Kurus are being destroyed.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
In the pressure of war, fear can drive leaders to demand immediate, extreme measures—here, urging Karṇa to use a rare divine weapon. The verse implicitly raises an ethical-strategic tension: decisive power may save allies in the moment, yet expending a unique boon-weapon can have grave later consequences.
A terrifying, demon-like magical manifestation appears on the battlefield. Alarmed, the Kaurava warriors appeal to Karṇa to kill the rākṣasa (or the demon-like threat) quickly using the Śakti, because the Dhṛtarāṣṭra forces are being destroyed.