Shloka 67
तांस्तत्राधिरथि: संख्ये चेदिपाउ्चालपाण्डवान् । एको बहूनभ्यपतद् गरुत्मान् पन्नगानिव,सूतपुत्रने समरांगणमें अकेला होनेपर भी जैसे गरुड़ अनेक सर्पोपर एक साथ आक्रमण करते हैं, उसी प्रकार बहुसंख्यक चेदि, पांचाल और पाण्डवोंपर आक्रमण किया
sañjaya uvāca |
tāṁs tatrādhirathiḥ saṅkhye cedipāñcālapāṇḍavān |
eko bahūn abhyapatad garutmān pannagān iva ||
Sañjaya said: There on the battlefield, Adhirathi (Karna) alone sprang upon the many—Cedis, Pāñcālas, and the Pāṇḍavas—just as Garuḍa swoops down upon a multitude of serpents at once.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ideal of martial resolve: a warrior, committed to his chosen duty and cause, may confront overwhelming odds without hesitation. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s tension between personal prowess and the tragic momentum of war—courage is celebrated even as the violence it enables is starkly portrayed.
Sañjaya describes Karṇa (called Adhirathi) charging alone into a large formation of enemy warriors—Cedis, Pāñcālas, and Pāṇḍavas—likening his attack to Garuḍa swooping upon many serpents at once.