Shloka 55
रणे चरत्येष रथप्रवीर: सितै्हयै: कौरवराजपुत्र: । स वाद्य मां नेष्यति कृच्छुमेतत् कर्णस्यान्तादेतदन्तास्तु सर्वे,ये रथियोंमें प्रधान वीर कौरवराजकुमार अर्जुन अपने श्वेत अभश्रोंद्वारा रणभूमिमें विचर रहे हैं। ये आज मुझे मृत्युके संकटमें डाल देंगे और मुझ कर्णका अन्त होनेपर कौरवदलके अन्य समस्त योद्धाओंका विनाश भी निश्चित ही है
raṇe caratyeṣa rathapravīraḥ śitair hayaiḥ kauravarājaputraḥ | sa vadhyā māṃ neṣyati kṛcchram etat karṇasyāntād etad antāstu sarve ||
Karna dijo: «Ahí se mueve por el campo de batalla el más eminente de los guerreros de carro: el príncipe kuru Arjuna, guiando sus corceles blancos y acerados. Hoy, sin duda, me empujará al duro extremo de la muerte; y cuando yo, Karna, llegue a mi fin, también será segura la destrucción de todos los guerreros kauravas que aún queden.»
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tragic clarity that can arise in war: a warrior recognizes the moral and strategic consequences of a single fall. Karna foresees that his death will not be an isolated event but a turning point leading to the collapse of his side—underscoring impermanence, the chain of causality in conflict, and the heavy responsibility borne by principal champions.
Karna, facing Arjuna in the Karna Parva battle sequence, observes Arjuna ranging the field with his famed steeds and anticipates being driven into a mortal crisis. He predicts that once he is slain, the remaining Kaurava warriors will inevitably be destroyed as well, indicating a decisive shift in the war’s outcome.