Shloka 38
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena
द्रौपदेयान् युधामन्युं सात्यकिं च महारथम् । एक: संवारयामास प्रेक्षणीय: समनन््ततः
draūpadeyān yudhāmanyuṁ sātyakiṁ ca mahāratham | ekaḥ saṁvārayāmāsa prekṣaṇīyaḥ samanantataḥ, mahārāja |
Sañjaya dit : Ô roi, Karna—fils de Rādhā, digne de tous les regards—à lui seul, arrêta l’avance des Pāñcāla alliés aux Pāṇḍava, y compris les cinq fils de Draupadī, Yudhamanyu et le grand guerrier de char Sātyaki. En cet instant, sa résistance solitaire manifesta une résolution farouche et une discipline guerrière qui poussaient la guerre vers une escalade inexorable, tout en creusant le prix moral supporté par tous les camps.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how individual excellence and resolve can decisively shape events in war, while also implying the ethical tension of kshatriya valor: extraordinary prowess may be admirable, yet it serves a conflict whose cumulative suffering burdens all parties.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Karna alone blocks the forward movement of the Pandava-allied Panchala forces, specifically naming Draupadi’s five sons, Yudhamanyu, and the great warrior Satyaki, preventing them from advancing.