Shloka 14
तमग्निमिव दुर्धर्षमसिशक्तिशरेन्धनम् | पाण्डवाग्निमहं दीप्तं प्रदहन्तमिवाहितम्,जो अग्निकी भाँति दुर्धर्ष है, खड़ग, शक्ति और बाणरूपी ईंधनसे प्रज्वलित है और अपने शत्रुको भस्म कर रही है, उस अर्जुनरूपी जलती हुई आगको आज मैं महामेघ बनकर बुझा दूँगा। मेरे अश्वोंका वेग ही पुरवैया हवाका काम करेगा। रथसमूहकी घर्घराहट ही बादलोंकी गम्भीर गर्जनगा होगी और बाणोंकी धारा ही जलधाराका काम करेगी
tam agnim iva durdharṣam asi-śakti-śarendhanam | pāṇḍavāgnim ahaṃ dīptaṃ pradahantam ivāhitam ||
Karna said: “Like a fire that is hard to withstand—fed with fuel in the form of swords, spears, and arrows—this blazing Pāṇḍava-fire (Arjuna) seems set to burn down his foes. Today I shall become a great rain-cloud and extinguish that raging flame.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethos of meeting overwhelming force with equal resolve: Karna frames combat as a contest of controlled power, using the ethical ideal of courage and steadfastness (even when driven by rivalry) rather than fear or retreat.
Karna, seeing Arjuna’s fierce effectiveness in battle, compares him to an unstoppable fire fueled by weapons. He then vows to counter him like a great rain-cloud that quenches fire—announcing his intention to confront and suppress Arjuna’s onslaught.