Shloka 32
अर्जुनकर्णसंनिपातवर्णनम् / The Convergence of Arjuna and Karṇa
यः सर्वतः पर्यपतत्त्वदर्थे सदार्चितो गर्वित: सूतपुत्र: । स शूरमानी समरे समेत्य कच्चित्त्वया निहत: संयुगेडसौ
yaḥ sarvataḥ paryapatat tvad-arthe sadārcito garvitaḥ sūta-putraḥ | sa śūra-mānī samare sametya kaccit tvayā nihataḥ saṃyuge 'sau ||
Yudhiṣṭhira dijo: «Ese hijo del auriga—siempre honrado y henchido de orgullo—que solía lanzarse contra ti desde todos los flancos con el único propósito de derribarte: cuando lo enfrentaste en batalla, ¿has dado muerte de verdad, en plena refriega, a ese Karṇa que se tenía por héroe?»
युधिषछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how social honor and martial reputation can inflate pride, yet in dharma-driven war even the most celebrated warrior must face accountability and mortality. It also shows Yudhiṣṭhira’s ethical anxiety—seeking certainty about a grave act (the killing of Karṇa) rather than celebrating it.
Yudhiṣṭhira questions a warrior (contextually, the Pāṇḍava side) about whether Karṇa—described as the proud, ever-honored ‘sūtaputra’ who repeatedly attacked—has been killed after being met directly in battle.