Shloka 11
दन्तवर्णास्तु राधेयो निजघान मनोजवान् | युधिष्ठिरस्य संग्रामे कालवालान् हयोत्तमान्,जिनकी पूँछ और गर्दनके बाल काले तथा शरीरका रंग श्वेत था और जो मनके समान तीव्र वेगसे चलनेवाले थे, युधिष्ठिरके उन उत्तम घोड़ोंको संग्रामभूमिमें राधापुत्र कर्णने मार डाला
dantavarṇās tu rādheyo nijaghāna manojavān | yudhiṣṭhirasya saṅgrāme kālavālān hayottamān ||
Sañjaya said: In the thick of battle, Rādheya (Karna) struck down Yudhiṣṭhira’s finest horses—swift as the mind—white-bodied yet marked with dark manes and tails. The verse underscores the grim ethics of war: victory is pursued not only by confronting warriors but also by disabling the very means that sustain a king’s mobility, protection, and command on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a harsh dimension of kṣatriya warfare: strategic necessity can drive combatants to target an opponent’s support systems (such as horses), not merely the warrior himself. It invites reflection on how dharma in war often operates within constraints of survival and victory, even when actions appear morally severe.
Sañjaya reports that Karna, called Rādheya, kills Yudhiṣṭhira’s excellent, very swift horses—white in body with black manes/tails—thereby crippling Yudhiṣṭhira’s chariot capability in the ongoing battle.