Shloka 40
युधिष्ठिरस्य धनंजय-प्रति गर्हा
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Reproach to Dhanaṃjaya
(ततस्तेषां महाराज पाण्डवानां महारथा: । सृञ्जयानां च सर्वेषां शतशो5थ सहसत्रश: ।। अस्त्रै: कर्ण महेष्वासं समनन््तात् पर्यवारयन् ।) महाराज! तब सम्पूर्ण सूंजयों और पाण्डवोंके सैकड़ों-हजारों महारथियोंने महाधनुर्धर कर्णपर बाणोंकी वर्षा करते हुए उसे चारों ओरसे घेर लिया। स संधाय महास्त्राणि महेष्वासा महामना: । प्रहस्य पुरुषेन्द्रस्य शरैश्षिच्छेद कार्मुकम्,महाधनुर्धर महामना कर्णने हँसकर महान् अस्त्रोंका संधान किया और अपने बाणोंसे महाराज युधिष्ठिरका धनुष काट दिया
sañjaya uvāca |
tatas teṣāṃ mahārāja pāṇḍavānāṃ mahārathāḥ |
śṛñjayānāṃ ca sarveṣāṃ śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ ||
astraiḥ karṇa maheṣvāsaṃ samantāt paryavārayan ||
sa sandhāya mahāstrāṇi maheṣvāso mahāmanāḥ |
prahasya puruṣendrasya śaraiś ciccheda kārmukam ||
Sañjaya said: Then, O King, hundreds and thousands of great chariot-warriors among all the Śṛñjayas and the Pāṇḍavas, showering weapons, surrounded Karṇa—the mighty archer—on every side. Thereupon the high-souled Karṇa, himself a master bowman, fitted and invoked his great missiles; and, laughing, he cut down with his arrows the bow of Yudhiṣṭhira, the lord among men. The scene underscores how martial prowess and strategic pressure can overwhelm even the righteous, while also hinting at the ethical tension of war: valor and skill operate within a conflict whose costs fall upon all, including those devoted to dharma.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral complexity of dharma in war: righteousness alone does not guarantee safety, and battlefield outcomes often hinge on skill, coordination, and resolve. It also reflects the epic’s recurring tension between ethical ideals and the harsh mechanics of armed conflict.
Pāṇḍava and Śṛñjaya warriors mass together and surround Karṇa from all sides, attacking with volleys of missiles. Karṇa responds by invoking powerful weapons and, with confident ease, severs Yudhiṣṭhira’s bow with his arrows.