Shloka 33
Somadatta’s Kṣātra-Dharma Accusation; Night Combat, Māyā, and the Fall of Ghaṭotkaca
Droṇa-parva, Adhyāya 131
हताश्वात् तु रथात् कर्ण: समाप्लुत्य विशाम्पते । स्यन्दनं वृषसेनस्य तूर्णमापुप्लुवे भयात्,प्रजानाथ! उस समय कर्ण भयके मारे उस अश्वहीन रथसे कूदकर तुरंत ही वृषसेनके रथपर जा बैठा
hatāśvāt tu rathāt karṇaḥ samāplutya viśāmpate | syandanaṃ vṛṣasenasyā tūṇam āpupluve bhayāt, prajānātha |
Sañjaya dit : Ô seigneur des peuples, lorsque le char de Karṇa eut perdu ses chevaux, Karṇa en sauta et, poussé par la peur et l’urgence, bondit aussitôt sur le char de Vṛṣasena. Cet instant montre qu’au cœur du tumulte guerrier, même les héros les plus renommés peuvent être contraints à des choix brusques et pragmatiques pour survivre et poursuivre leur devoir.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between heroic ideals and battlefield reality: when circumstances collapse (a horseless chariot), a warrior may take swift, practical action to preserve life and continue fighting. It also subtly shows that fear can arise even in the great, yet duty and strategy still demand immediate decision.
Karṇa’s chariot has become horseless (its horses are killed). He jumps down and quickly mounts the chariot of his son/ally Vṛṣasena. Sañjaya reports this to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, emphasizing the urgency and fear driving the move.