Shloka 27
दुःशासनवधः (Duḥśāsana-vadha) — Bhīma’s vow-fulfillment in combat
कर्णोडपि भृशसंक्रुद्धो धर्मराजं युधिष्ठिरम् । नाराचैरर्थचन्द्रेश्न वत्सदन्तैश्व संयुगे,कर्ण भी अत्यन्त क्रोधमें भरा हुआ था। वह अमर्षशील और क्रोधी तो था ही, रोषसे उसका मुख फड़क रहा था। अप्रमेय आत्मबलसे सम्पन्न उस वीरने युद्धस्थलमें नाराचों, अर्धचन्द्रों तथा वत्सदन्तोंद्वारा धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरपर धावा किया
karṇo 'pi bhṛśa-saṃkruddho dharmarājaṃ yudhiṣṭhiram | nārācair ardhacandraiś ca vatsadantaiś ca saṃyuge ||
Sañjaya said: Karṇa too, inflamed with fierce anger, charged at Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira in the thick of battle, assailing him with nārāca arrows, crescent-headed shafts, and calf-tooth–shaped missiles. The scene shows how wrath, even in a heroic warrior, drives the combat toward relentless escalation, placing royal duty and personal restraint under severe strain.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how krodha (anger) can dominate even a mighty warrior, intensifying conflict and testing dharma. It implicitly contrasts Yudhiṣṭhira’s identity as Dharmarāja with the battlefield reality where restraint and righteous conduct are hardest to maintain.
Sañjaya reports that Karṇa, seized by intense anger, launches a direct assault on Yudhiṣṭhira using multiple specialized arrow-types (nārāca, ardhacandra, vatsadanta), signaling a focused and aggressive attempt to overwhelm the Pāṇḍava king in the ongoing battle.