Shloka 24
Adhyāya 35 — Bhīmasena’s Counter-Encirclement and the Karṇa Engagement Escalation
अभ्यभाषत राधेय: शल्यं युद्धविशारदम् | चोदयाश्वान् महाबाहो यावद्धन्मि धनंजयम्
abhya-bhāṣata rādhēyaḥ śalyaṁ yuddha-viśāradaṁ | codayāśvān mahābāho yāvad dhanmi dhanaṁjayam ||
Sañjaya said: Then Rādheya (Karna) addressed Śalya, the expert in warfare: “O mighty-armed one, urge on the horses—until I strike down Dhanañjaya (Arjuna).”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethos of unwavering resolve in battle and the dependence of success on coordinated roles—warrior and charioteer. Ethically, it also underscores the Mahābhārata’s tension between personal vows of glory and the larger, tragic consequences of war.
During the Karṇa–Arjuna confrontation, Karna instructs his charioteer Śalya to drive the horses forward aggressively, declaring his intent to strike down Arjuna. Sañjaya reports this to Dhṛtarāṣṭra as part of the unfolding battlefield account.