Shloka 226
दुःशासनवधः (Duḥśāsana-vadha) — Bhīma’s vow-fulfillment in combat
निशितैरिषुभि: कर्ण पञ्चाशद्धिः समार्पयत् महाराज! इससे कुपित हुए धर्मपुत्र युधिष्ठिरने कर्णपर पचास पैने बाणोंका प्रहार किया
sañjaya uvāca | niśitair iṣubhiḥ karṇa pañcāśadbhiḥ samārpayat | mahārāja! tataḥ kupito dharmaputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ karṇam prati pañcāśat tīkṣṇaiḥ bāṇaiḥ prāharat |
Dijo Sañjaya: ¡Oh rey!, lo hirió a Karṇa con cincuenta flechas agudas. Enfurecido por ello, Dharmaputra Yudhiṣṭhira respondió contra Karṇa, cubriéndolo con cincuenta saetas aceradas. Este intercambio revela la sombría reciprocidad de la guerra: la ira contesta a la herida, y aun el justo es arrastrado a una violencia medida por las exigencias del combate.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how quickly anger can overtake even a dharmic character in the heat of war, turning conflict into reciprocal escalation; it implicitly warns that righteousness is hardest to preserve amid injury and provocation.
In the Karna Parva battle scene, Karna is struck with fifty sharp arrows; Yudhishthira, angered, responds by striking Karna with fifty keen arrows in return.