Shloka 23
युधिष्ठिरस्य धनंजय-प्रति गर्हा
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Reproach to Dhanaṃjaya
ततो हाहाकृतं सर्व धार्तराष्ट्रबलं महत् । विवर्णमुखभूयिष्ठं कर्ण दृष्टवा तथागतम्,तब कर्णको उस अवस्थामें देखकर दुर्योधनकी सारी विशाल सेनामें हाहाकार मच गया और अधिकांश सैनिकोंके मुखका रंग विषादसे फीका पड़ गया
tato hāhākṛtaṃ sarvaṃ dhārtarāṣṭrabalaṃ mahat | vivarṇamukhabhūyiṣṭhaṃ karṇaṃ dṛṣṭvā tathāgatam ||
Sañjaya said: Then a great wail arose throughout the vast army of the Dhārtarāṣṭras. Seeing Karṇa brought to such a condition, most soldiers’ faces turned pale, drained by grief and despair.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the consequences of war and adharma manifest not only in physical loss but also in collective psychological collapse: when a central champion falls into ruin, the entire host is shaken, revealing the fragility of power built on unrighteous aims.
Sañjaya reports that the Kaurava army erupts in lamentation. On seeing Karṇa in a grievous state (having come to such a condition), most soldiers become pale with sorrow, indicating fear and despair spreading through Duryodhana’s forces.