Shloka 143
कर्णस्य सेनापत्याभिषेकः | Karṇa’s Consecration as Commander-in-Chief
भारद्वाजेन विक्रम्य गमितो यमसादनम् । सेनासहित भोजराज महारथी अंशुमानको भरद्वाजनन्दन द्रोणने पराक्रम करके यमलोक पहुँचाया है
Bhāradvājena vikramya gamito yamasādanam | senāsahito bhojarājaḥ mahārathī aṁśumānakaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Overpowered by the valor of Bhāradvāja’s son (Droṇa), the Bhoja king Aṁśumānaka—an eminent chariot-warrior—was sent to Yama’s abode together with his troops.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the stark ethical reality of war: martial excellence can swiftly end lives, and leadership in battle carries collective consequences—when a chief falls, his followers often perish as well. It reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between heroic duty (kṣatriya-dharma) and the tragic cost of violence.
Sañjaya reports that Bhāradvāja’s son (Droṇa) defeats and kills the Bhoja king Aṁśumānaka, sending him to Yama’s realm, and that the king’s troops are also destroyed or routed in the same onslaught.