Shloka 20
कर्णनिधनश्रवणम् — Hearing of Karṇa’s Fall and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament
यस्य राजन् गजानीकं ६:20 प् । सुदक्षिण: स संग्रामे निहतः अजय जा नो,राजन्! जिसके अधिकारमें कई हजार हाथियोंकी अद्भुत सेना थी, वह सुदक्षिण भी संग्राममें सव्यसाची अर्जुनके बाणोंका निशाना बन गया
yasya rājan gajānikaṃ sahasraśaḥ sudakṣiṇaḥ sa saṅgrāme nihato ’jayena savyasācinā
Sañjaya said: O King, Sudakṣiṇa—who commanded a wondrous host of elephants numbering in the thousands—was struck down in battle, becoming the target of the unfailing arrows of Savyasācin Arjuna.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the fragility of worldly power: even a commander backed by thousands of elephants can fall when confronted by superior skill and the inexorable course of war. It reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring ethical reminder that external strength and status do not guarantee protection from the consequences of conflict.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Sudakṣiṇa, despite leading a massive elephant corps, is brought down in the battle by Arjuna (Savyasācin), whose arrows find their mark.