Shloka 15
स तूत्तमौजा निशितै: पृषत्कै- विंव्याध खड्गेन च भास्वरेण । पार्ण्णि हयांश्वैव कृपस्य हत्वा शिखण्डिवाहं स ततो<ध्यरोहत्,तब उत्तमौजाने तीखे बाणोंसे कर्णको बींध डाला और (जब कृपाचार्यने बाधा दी तब) चमचमाती हुई तलवारसे कृपाचार्यके पृष्ठरक्षकों और घोड़ोंको मारकर वह शिखण्डीके रथपर आरूढ़ हो गया
sa tūttamaujā niśitaiḥ pṛṣatkaiḥ vivyādha karṇaṃ ca bhāsvarena khaḍgena | pṛṣṭharakṣakān hayāṃś caiva kṛpasya hatvā śikhaṇḍivāhaṃ sa tato 'dhyarohat ||
Dijo Sañjaya: Entonces Uttamaujā atravesó a Karṇa con flechas agudas. Y cuando Kṛpa intervino, Uttamaujā, con una espada refulgente, abatió a la retaguardia y a los caballos de Kṛpa; después montó en el carro de Śikhaṇḍin.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh moral terrain of war: even revered elders and supporting troops become targets when they obstruct one’s immediate duty to protect allies and gain tactical advantage. It reflects kṣatriya-dharma as action under pressure, where choices are judged by necessity, allegiance, and the demands of the moment rather than by peaceful norms.
Uttamaujā wounds Karṇa with sharp arrows. When Kṛpa attempts to check him, Uttamaujā uses a shining sword to kill Kṛpa’s rear-guards and horses, then climbs onto Śikhaṇḍin’s chariot—an aggressive maneuver to reposition and continue the fight from a new platform.