Mahabharata 7.154.5 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 154, Shloka 5
घटोत्कच-कर्णयुद्धम्
Ghaṭotkaca–Karna Combat and the Release of Śakti
पार्थेनैकेन निहता: सिंहेनेवेतरे मृगा: । “राधानन्दन! देखो, जैसे सिंह दूसरे वन्य पशुओंका संहार कर डालता है, उसी प्रकार एकमात्र कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुनद्वारा मारे गये ये भूमण्डलके श्रेष्ठ भूपाल युद्धभूमिमें पड़े हैं ।।
pārthenekena nihatāḥ siṁhenevetare mṛgāḥ | rādhānandana! dekho, yathā siṁhaḥ anyān vanyapaśūn saṁharati, tathā ekamātreṇa kuntīkumarārjunena hatā ime bhūmaṇḍalasya śreṣṭhā bhūpālā yuddhabhūmau patitāḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Tués par Pārtha (Arjuna) à lui seul, ils gisent comme les autres bêtes terrassées par un lion. Ô fils de Rādhā (Karna), vois : de même que le lion anéantit les autres fauves, ainsi ces rois, les plus éminents de la terre, frappés par le seul Arjuna, fils de Kuntī, sont jonchés sur le champ de bataille.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the overwhelming force of a single righteous warrior in battle and, ethically, the stark cost of war: even the 'foremost kings' become as vulnerable as prey when adharma-driven conflict reaches its climax. The lion-simile magnifies Arjuna’s prowess while implicitly lamenting the devastation of kṣatriya society.
Sanjaya reports to Karna that Arjuna alone has cut down many eminent rulers; their bodies lie scattered on the battlefield. Addressing Karna as 'Rādhānandana,' he urges him to witness Arjuna’s lion-like slaughter of opposing warriors.
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