Shloka 38
Adhyāya 55: Pārtha–Rādheya Saṃvāda and Tactical Exchange
Chapter 55
तस्मिन् विद्धे महेष्वासे कर्णे सर्वास्त्रकोविदे | हताश्वसूते विरथे ततोडनीकमभज्यत
tasmin viddhe maheṣvāse karṇe sarvāstrakovide | hatāśvasūte virathe tato 'nīkam abhajyata ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: When Karṇa, that great archer skilled in every weapon, was struck, and when his horses and charioteer were slain so that he stood without a chariot, the battle-array broke apart. Seeing the famed master of arms disabled and his support destroyed, the troops lost cohesion and a rout spread through the host.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a practical ethical insight of warfare and governance: collective order depends heavily on key supports—leaders, logistics, and morale. When a renowned champion is disabled and his immediate supports (horses, charioteer, chariot) are destroyed, fear and confusion can spread rapidly, causing the wider force to collapse.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Karṇa, famed as a great archer and master of all weapons, is struck; his horses and charioteer are killed, leaving him without a chariot. As a result, the battle formation (anīka) breaks and the army falls into a rout.