Shloka 436
अध्याय ३: कृपस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति नीत्युपदेशः
Kṛpa’s Counsel to Duryodhana
आसीद् बुद्धि्ते कर्णे तव योधस्य कस्यचित् । कर्णके मारे जानेपर आपके किसी भी योद्धाके मनमें न तो सेनाओंको एकत्र संगठित रखनेका उत्साह रह गया और न पराक्रममें ही वे मन लगा सके
āsīd buddhis te karṇe tava yodhasya kasyacit | karṇake māre jānepara āpake kisī bhī yoddhāke manameṁ na to senāoṁko ekatra saṅgaṭhita rakhane kā utsāha rah gayā aur na parākramameṁ hī ve mana lagā sake |
Sañjaya said: When Karṇa was slain, no warrior of yours retained the resolve to keep the armies gathered and disciplined; nor could they set their minds to valor. The fall of a foremost champion broke the cohesion of the host and drained its moral energy, showing how leadership and confidence sustain an army’s dharma in war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the fall of a principal leader can shatter collective resolve: discipline, unity, and courage in war depend not only on weapons but on confidence, command, and shared purpose—key supports of dharma in a righteous campaign.
After Karṇa’s death becomes known, Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra (and by extension about Duryodhana’s side) that the Kaurava warriors lose the will to keep the forces organized and cannot focus on acts of valor, signaling a turning point toward collapse.