Shloka 1
कर्णार्जुनयुद्ध-प्रवृत्तिः
Renewal of the Karṇa–Arjuna Engagement at Day’s End
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत कर्णपर्वमें संकुलयुद्धविषयक इक्कीसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ ॥/ २१ ॥ ऑपन--माज बछ। अकाल दाविशोद्ध्याय: पाण्डव-सेनापर भयानक गजसेनाका आक्रमण, पाण्डवोंद्वारा पुण्ड़्रकी पराजय तथा बंगराज और अंगराजका वध, गजसेनाका विनाश और पलायन संजय उवाच हस्तिभिस्तु महामात्रास्तव पुत्रेण चोदिता: । धृष्टय्युम्नं जिघांसन्त: क्रुद्धा: पार्षतमभ्ययु:
sañjaya uvāca
hastibhis tu mahāmātrās tava putreṇa coditāḥ |
dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ jighāṃsantaḥ kruddhāḥ pārṣatam abhyayuḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Urged on by your son, the great commanders with their war-elephants—angered and intent on killing Dhṛṣṭadyumna, the son of Pārṣata—advanced against him.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how a ruler’s provocation (codanā) and the emotion of anger (krodha) can mobilize powerful forces toward a single violent aim. Ethically, it points to the responsibility of leadership: incitement and wrath magnify harm, especially in war where intent to kill becomes organized action.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, at the urging of his son, the Kaurava high commanders advance with their elephants against Dhṛṣṭadyumna, specifically aiming to kill him, and they do so in a state of anger.