Shloka 183
Karṇa-vadha-pratyaya: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Verification of Karṇa’s Fall (कर्णवध-प्रत्ययः)
क्षत्रविट्शूद्रवीराणा धर्म्य स्वरग्य यशस्करम् । उनका वह युद्ध क्षत्रिय, वैश्य एवं शूद्रवीरोंक शरीर, पाप और प्राणोंका विनाश करनेवाला, संहारकारी, धर्मसंगत स्वर्गदायक तथा यशकी वृद्धि करनेवाला था
sañjaya uvāca | kṣatra-viṭ-śūdra-vīrāṇāṃ dharmyaṃ svargyaṃ yaśaskaram |
Sañjaya said: That battle, involving the valiant men of the Kṣatriya, Vaiśya, and Śūdra orders, was in accord with dharma; it opened the way to heaven and increased fame. In the epic’s ethical frame, such warfare is presented as a sanctioned arena where duty, renown, and the hope of higher worlds are won through courageous action.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames battle—when undertaken within the epic’s notion of rightful duty—as dharmic action that yields two classical rewards: svarga (a higher posthumous state) and yaśas (lasting reputation). It reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension: violence is tragic, yet duty-bound warfare is still treated as a legitimate path to honor and merit for those who fight according to their role and code.
Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, characterizes the ongoing conflict as a battle drawing in heroes from multiple social orders (Kṣatriya, Vaiśya, Śūdra) and describes its perceived moral and spiritual valence—righteous, heaven-leading, and fame-producing—rather than detailing a specific blow or duel in this line.