Shloka 233
कर्णपुत्रवधः (The Fall of Vṛṣasena) — Karṇa Parva, Adhyāya 62
सर्वा ग्रसति न: सेनां कर्ण पश्यैनमाहवे । 'कर्ण! ये अर्जुन अपने बाणोंकी वर्षसे बड़े-बड़े रथियोंका संहार करते हुए हमारी सारी सेनाको कालका ग्रास बना रहे हैं। युद्धस्थलमें इनकी ओर तो देखो
saṃjaya uvāca | sarvā grasati naḥ senāṃ karṇa paśyainam āhave |
Sanjaya said: “Karna, look at him on the battlefield! Arjuna is swallowing up our entire army—by his relentless shower of arrows he is cutting down even the greatest chariot-warriors, turning our forces into the very mouthful of Death.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the battlefield ethic of vigilance and leadership: a commander must clearly perceive the immediate threat and respond decisively. It also highlights the Mahābhārata’s recurring theme that prowess, when aligned with destiny and resolve, can make even vast forces vulnerable.
Sañjaya reports to Karna that Arjuna is overwhelming the Kaurava forces, killing prominent chariot-warriors with a dense rain of arrows. He urges Karna to look directly at Arjuna in the fight, signaling urgency and the need for Karna to counter him.