Mahabharata — Karna Parva, Shloka 23
धर्मरहस्योपदेशः
Dharma-rahasya Instruction: Vows, Truth, and Non-injury
एष शूरश्न वीरश्न क्रोधनश्व वृकोदर: । निरपेक्ष: शरीरे च प्राणतक्षु बलाधिक:,सोड्द्य संग्रामशिरसि संनद्धः क्रोधमूर्च्छित:
eṣa śūraś ca vīraś ca krodhanaś ca vṛkodaraḥ | nirapekṣaḥ śarīre ca prāṇatyāge balādhikaḥ | so 'dya saṅgrāmaśirasi sannaddhaḥ krodhamūrcchitaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “Here is Vṛkodara—both valiant and heroic, and fierce in wrath. Indifferent to his own body, and superior in strength even in the readiness to lay down his life, today he stands at the very forefront of battle, fully armed and overcome by anger.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the warrior-ethic of fearlessness and readiness to sacrifice one’s life, while also warning—by description rather than sermon—how anger can seize even a great hero and shape conduct on the battlefield.
Sañjaya points out Bhīma (Vṛkodara) to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, portraying him as powerfully armed, positioned at the front of the fight, and driven by intense anger—setting the tone for imminent violent engagement.