Shloka 3
कर्णस्य सेनापत्यं, माकरव्यूहः, पाण्डवानामर्धचन्द्रव्यूहः
Karna’s Command; Mākara Formation; Pandava Crescent Counter-Array
न च मृष्यामि राधेयं हतमाहवशोभनम् | यस्य बाह्दोर्बलं तुल्यं कुज्जराणां शतं शतम्
na ca mṛṣyāmi rādheyaṃ hatam āhavaśobhanam | yasya bāhvor balaṃ tulyaṃ kuñjarāṇāṃ śataṃ śatam ||
Dijo Dhṛtarāṣṭra: «No puedo soportarlo: la noticia de que Rādheya (Karna), quien daba esplendor al campo de batalla, ha sido abatido. Sus dos brazos poseían una fuerza igual a cientos y cientos de elefantes; al oír su caída, mi dolor se vuelve insoportable».
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how attachment and partiality intensify suffering: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s inability to ‘bear’ the news shows the ethical cost of clinging to power and allies in war, even when the conflict itself is rooted in adharma.
After hearing that Karna (Rādheya)—renowned for battlefield prowess and immense arm-strength—has been killed, Dhṛtarāṣṭra expresses overwhelming grief and shock, emphasizing Karna’s heroic stature.