अर्जुनकर्णसंनिपातवर्णनम् / The Convergence of Arjuna and Karṇa
अनलानिलयोस्तुल्यं तेजसा च बलेन च | पातालमिव गम्भीर सुहृदां नन्दिवर्धनम्
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | analānilayostulyaṁ tejasā ca balena ca | pātālam iva gambhīraṁ suhṛdāṁ nandivardhanam |
Yudhiṣṭhira dijo: «En fulgor era como Agni y en fuerza como Vāyu; profundo como Pātāla, acrecentaba la dicha de sus amigos. Pero para mis aliados era como Yama en persona. Es gran fortuna que vosotros dos, como un par de dioses que regresan tras vencer a un asura, hayáis vuelto aquí después de dar muerte a Karṇa en la gran batalla.»
युधिषछ्िर उवाच
The verse frames martial success within ethical reflection: true greatness is measured not only by power (tejas, bala) but also by depth of character and the capacity to bring joy to allies; even in war, one acknowledges the formidable worth of the fallen and treats victory as a matter of fortune rather than mere pride.
Yudhiṣṭhira speaks in the aftermath of Karṇa’s fall, praising the extraordinary qualities of the warrior and expressing that it is a great stroke of fortune that the two victorious heroes have returned after killing Karṇa in the great battle, likening them to gods returning after defeating an asura.