Shloka 16
Karṇa-vadha-pratyaya: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Verification of Karṇa’s Fall (कर्णवध-प्रत्ययः)
कृपश्च कृतवर्मा च शकुनिश्चापि सौबल:,शूरसेनै: शूरवरैर्युयुधुर्युद्धदुर्मदा: । रथियोंकी सेनामें प्रहार करनेमें कुशल कृपाचार्य, कृतवर्मा और सुबलपुत्र शकुनि--ये रणदुर्मद वीर अत्यन्त कुपित हो हर्षमें भरी हुई सेना साथ लेकर कोसल काशि, मत्स्य, करूष, केकय तथा शूरसेनदेशीय शूरवीरोंके साथ युद्ध करने लगे
sañjaya uvāca | kṛpaś ca kṛtavarmā ca śakuniś cāpi saubalaḥ, śūrasenaiḥ śūravaraiḥ yuyudhur yuddha-durmadāḥ |
Sañjaya said: Kripa, Kritavarmā, and also Śakuni, the son of Subala—warriors intoxicated with the frenzy of battle—engaged in fierce fighting alongside the foremost heroes of the Śūrasenas. The verse underscores how seasoned leaders, driven by wrath and martial exhilaration, press into combat, illustrating the Mahābhārata’s recurring ethical tension: prowess and loyalty can be harnessed by anger and ambition, intensifying the destruction of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how martial skill and leadership, when fueled by anger and the intoxication of combat (yuddha-durmada), can accelerate violence. It reflects the epic’s ethical concern that valor without restraint and discernment (viveka) becomes a force of ruin, even when performed under the banner of duty.
Sañjaya reports that Kṛpa, Kṛtavarmā, and Śakuni (son of Subala) are actively engaging in battle, fighting together with prominent Śūrasena heroes. It situates these Kaurava-aligned commanders in the thick of the fighting as the war intensifies.