Shloka 23
कर्णवधप्रसङ्गः / The Context of Karṇa’s Fall
Krishna’s Dharmic Recollection and the Decisive Astra
सौतिं हनिष्यामि नरेन्द्रसिंह सैन्यं तथा शत्रुगणांश्व सर्वान्
sautiṁ haniṣyāmi narendrasiṁha sainyaṁ tathā śatrugaṇāṁś ca sarvān | tvām ājñāṁ yāce 'dya; raṇabhūmau mama vijayāya āśīrvādaṁ dehi | narendrasiṁha! dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putrā bhīmasenaṁ grasituṁ ceṣṭante; tataḥ pūrvam eva sūtaputraṁ karṇaṁ tasya sainyaṁ ca samastān śatrūṁś ca nihaniṣyāmi ||
Arjuna said: “I shall slay Karṇa, the son of a charioteer, along with his army and all the enemy hosts. Today I seek your permission—grant me your blessing for victory on the battlefield. O lion among kings, the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra are striving to overwhelm Bhīmasena; before that can happen, I will strike first and destroy Karṇa, his forces, and the entire enemy.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a warrior’s dharma expressed as decisive protection of one’s side: Arjuna frames his action as preempting harm to Bhīma and seeks legitimate sanction and blessing from a superior, showing that even in war, resolve is ideally aligned with duty, authority, and responsibility toward allies.
In the Karṇa Parva battle setting, Arjuna declares his intention to kill Karṇa and the enemy forces. He requests permission and a victory-blessing from the addressed ‘lion among kings,’ and explains the urgency: the Kauravas are attempting to overpower Bhīma, so Arjuna will act first to neutralize Karṇa and the hostile army.