Shloka 56
“आज पृथ्वी पापी राधापुत्र कर्णके रक्तका पान करेगी। मैं आपसे सच्ची प्रतिज्ञा करके कहता हूँ, समझ लीजिये कि अब सूतपुत्र कर्ण मार दिया गया। आप जिसका वध चाहते हैं, उसका जीवन समाप्त हो गया” ।। इति कृष्णवच: श्रुत्वा धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिर: । ससम्भ्रमं हृषीकेशमुत्थाप्य प्रणतं तदा
sañjaya uvāca | ājā pṛthvī pāpī rādhāputra-karṇake raktakā pāna karegī | ahaṃ āpase saccī pratijñā karke kahatā hūṃ, samajha lījiye ki aba sūtaputra karṇa māra diyā gayā | āpa jisakā vadha cāhate haiṃ, usakā jīvana samāpta ho gayā || iti kṛṣṇa-vacaḥ śrutvā dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | sa-sambhramaṃ hṛṣīkeśam utthāpya praṇataṃ tadā ||
Sañjaya dijo: «Hoy la tierra beberá la sangre del pecador Karṇa, hijo de Rādhā. Te lo digo con un voto veraz: entiende que Karṇa, el hijo del auriga, ha sido ya abatido. Aquel cuya muerte deseas, su vida ha llegado a su fin.» Al oír estas palabras pronunciadas por Kṛṣṇa, Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira, sobrecogido de pronto, alzó a Hṛṣīkeśa (Kṛṣṇa), que estaba inclinado, y luego le rindió reverencia.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the moral weight of war: even a long-sought victory is framed through blood, sin, and consequence. It also shows the ethical tension in righteous warfare—Yudhiṣṭhira’s reverence toward Kṛṣṇa amid turmoil suggests that dharma requires humility and guidance even at the moment of triumph.
Sañjaya reports to the blind king that Karṇa has been killed, using vivid imagery of the earth drinking blood. After hearing Kṛṣṇa’s words confirming this outcome, Yudhiṣṭhira reacts with sudden emotion and respectfully raises and honors Kṛṣṇa (Hṛṣīkeśa), marking a pivotal turn in the battle’s momentum.