Shloka 103
कर्णभीमसमागमः | Karṇa–Bhīma Encounter
शड्खचक्रगदापाणिभर्धक्ष्यते तव वाहिनीम् । यदि सूतपुत्र कर्ण किसी प्रकार कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुनको मार डालेगा तो अर्जुनको मारा गया देख श्रीकृष्ण स्वयं ही युद्ध करेंगे। उनके हाथमें शंख
śalya uvāca — śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-pāṇir bhardhakṣyate tava vāhinīm | yadi sūta-putra karṇa kasyāpi prakāreṇa kuntī-kumāram arjunaṁ mārayiṣyati, tadā arjunaṁ hataṁ dṛṣṭvā śrī-kṛṣṇaḥ svayam eva yuddhaṁ kariṣyati | tasya haste śaṅkhaḥ cakraṁ gadā ca bhaviṣyanti | sa tava senāṁ dagdhvā bhasma-sāt kariṣyati ||
Shalya said: “If Karna, the son of a charioteer, should by any means succeed in killing Arjuna, Kunti’s son, then on seeing Arjuna slain, Sri Krishna Himself will enter the battle. With conch, discus, and mace in His hands, He will burn your army to ashes.”
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral gravity of attempting to kill Arjuna: it would trigger a collapse of restraint, drawing Krishna—normally a non-combatant charioteer—into direct warfare. It underscores how adharma can provoke overwhelming consequences and how divine power stands behind the protection of the righteous cause.
Shalya, associated with Karna’s side in the Karna Parva, warns that if Karna manages to kill Arjuna, Krishna will personally take up weapons—conch, discus, and mace—and devastate the Kaurava army. The statement functions as a deterrent and a reminder of Krishna’s latent, decisive power.