Shloka 126
कर्णेन युधिष्ठिरानीकविदारणम् / Karṇa’s Breach of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Battle-Line
त्वयि कर्णक्ष् राज्यं च वयं चैव प्रतिष्ठिता: । विजयश्नैव संग्रामे संयच्छाद्य हयोत्तमान्,आपपर ही कर्ण, राज्य, हम और हमारी विजय प्रतिष्ठित हैं। इसलिये आज संपग्राममें आप इन उत्तम घोड़ोंको अपने वशमें कीजिये
tvayi karṇakṣa rājyam ca vayam caiva pratiṣṭhitāḥ | vijayaś caiva saṅgrāme saṁyacchādya hayottamān ||
Bhīṣma said: “O Karṇa, upon you rest the kingdom and we ourselves; upon you also rests our victory in battle. Therefore, today in this war, bring these excellent horses under control (and harness them well).”
पितामह उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical weight of responsibility in leadership: when a community’s safety and success depend on one person’s competence, that person must exercise self-control and disciplined action—here symbolized by mastering and properly managing the war-horses.
Bhīṣma addresses Karṇa, emphasizing that the Kauravas’ kingdom and prospects of victory hinge on him, and urges him to take firm control of the excellent horses—an immediate tactical instruction framed as a reminder of Karṇa’s pivotal role in the war.