Shloka 28
Adhyāya 8: Saṃprahāra-varṇana and Bhīma–Kṣemadhūrti Dvipa-Yuddha
Combat Description and Elephant Duel
शोकार्णवे निमग्नो5हं भिन्ना नौरिव सागरे | जो पराक्रमशाली
śokārṇave nimagno ’haṃ bhinnā naur iva sāgare | taṃ vṛṣaṃ nihataṃ śrutvā dvairathe rathināṃ varam ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : «Je me suis englouti dans un océan de chagrin, tel un bateau brisé au milieu de la mer. En apprenant que Vṛṣa (Karna)—le plus éminent des guerriers de char—a été tué par Savyasācin Arjuna dans un duel de chars, je suis accablé de douleur.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical weight of war: even the fall of a celebrated warrior becomes a moral and emotional catastrophe, reminding the listener that victory in battle carries profound human cost and grief.
Vaiśampāyana reports his reaction upon hearing that Karna—praised as the best among chariot-fighters—has been killed by Arjuna in a direct chariot-duel; he describes his sorrow through the image of a boat breaking apart in the open sea.