Shloka 14
अध्याय ६० — कर्णस्य पाञ्चाल-सोमक-निग्रहः
Karna’s Suppression of the Panchala–Somaka Forces
युधामन्युं महेष्वासं गौतमो5भ्यपतद्रणे । कृतवर्मा च बलवानुत्तमौजसमाद्रवत्
yudhāmanyuṁ maheṣvāsaṁ gautamo 'bhyapatad raṇe | kṛtavarmā ca balavān uttamaujasaṁ ādravat ||
Sañjaya dit : Au cœur de la mêlée, Gautama se rua sur Yudhāmanyu, le grand archer ; et le puissant Kṛtavarmā chargea Uttamaujā. Ainsi les combattants cherchèrent des adversaires à leur mesure, poussant la guerre en avant par des défis frontaux plutôt que par la retraite — image de l’élan inexorable de Kurukṣetra, où la crise du dharma et des armes ne connaît pas de répit.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of meeting opponents directly in battle—valor expressed through facing capable adversaries. Ethically, it underscores how duty-driven martial resolve can propel conflict forward, intensifying the moral stakes of the war.
Sañjaya reports paired engagements: Gautama rushes to attack the great archer Yudhāmanyu, and the powerful Kṛtavarmā charges toward Uttamaujā. It is a brief battlefield update marking the onset of specific duels within the larger clash.