Mahabharata 7.136.166 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 136, Shloka 166
Chapter 136: Pandava Counter-Encirclement and the Vāyavya-Astra Disruption
त॑ रथेन नरश्रेष्ठं सम्पादय महारथम् । राजन! नरश्रेष्ठ कर्णको युद्धस्थलमें रथहीन खड़ा देख दुर्योधनने अपने भाई दुर्मुखसे कहा--*दुर्मुख! यह राधानन्दन कर्ण भीमसेनके द्वारा रथसे वंचित कर दिया गया है। इस महारथी नरश्रेष्ठ वीरको रथसे सम्पन्न करो”
taṁ rathena naraśreṣṭhaṁ sampādaya mahāratham | rājan! naraśreṣṭhaṁ karṇakaṁ yuddhasthale rathahīnaṁ khaḍā dṛṣṭvā duryodhanena svabhrātṛ durmukhāya uktam— “durmukha! eṣa rādhānandanaḥ karṇo bhīmasenena rathād vañcitaḥ | imaṁ mahārathiṁ naraśreṣṭhaṁ vīraṁ rathena sampādaya” ||
Dijo Sañjaya: «Proveed de un carro a ese primero entre los hombres, a ese gran guerrero de carro. ¡Oh rey! Al ver a Karṇa, el mejor de los hombres, de pie en el campo de batalla sin carro, Duryodhana dijo a su hermano Durmukha: “¡Durmukha! Este Karṇa, hijo de Rādhā, ha sido privado de su carro por Bhīmasena. ¡Equipa con un carro a este héroe, gran guerrero, el mejor de los hombres!”».
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid destructive war, a ruler’s duty includes sustaining allies and maintaining the fighting order; Duryodhana’s command highlights loyalty and logistical responsibility, while also raising ethical questions about prolonging violence by restoring a disabled combatant.
Karna has been deprived of his chariot by Bhima and is left standing on the battlefield. Duryodhana, seeing this, instructs his brother Durmukha to procure a chariot for Karna so he can rejoin the fight as a mahāratha.
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