Shloka 37
युधिष्ठिरस्य धनंजय-प्रति गर्हा
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Reproach to Dhanaṃjaya
नानाप्रहरणैश्नोग्रै रथहस्त्यश्वसादिभि: । सर्वतो<भ्यद्रवत् कर्ण परिवार्य जिघांसया
sañjaya uvāca |
nānāpraharaṇaiś cogrāi rathahasty-aśvasādibhiḥ |
sarvato 'bhyadravat karṇaṃ parivārya jighāṃsayā ||
Sañjaya said: Armed with many kinds of fierce weapons, and supported by chariots, elephants, cavalry, and other troops, the Pāñcāla warriors rushed at Karṇa from every side. Intent on killing him, they surrounded him and began to strike him with a storm of missiles and weapons—arrows and various specialized shafts—pressing the battle with relentless force. The scene underscores the war’s harsh ethic: collective assault and tactical encirclement are employed to bring down a single, formidable champion, revealing how vengeance and necessity can eclipse restraint on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim moral atmosphere of war: when conflict escalates, even renowned heroes become targets of coordinated, many-sided assault. It invites reflection on how intent (jighāṃsā—desire to kill) and tactical necessity can override ideals of restraint, illustrating the tension between kṣatriya duty in battle and the ethical cost of violence.
Sañjaya narrates that Pāñcāla fighters, supported by chariots, elephants, and cavalry, charge Karṇa from all directions. They encircle him with the explicit aim of killing him and begin attacking him with numerous fierce weapons and missiles.