Shloka 26
धृतराष्ट्रस्य क्रतु-प्रवर्तनम् तथा पाण्डवानां निमन्त्रण-प्रतिवचनम्
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Sacrifice Commences and the Pandavas’ Reply to the Invitation
भज्यमानेष्वनीकेषु धार्तराष्ट्रेषु सर्वश: । कर्णो वैकर्तनो राजं॑स्तस्थौ गिरिरिवाचल:
bhajyamāneṣv anīkeṣu dhārtarāṣṭreṣu sarvaśaḥ | karṇo vaikarṭano rājan tasthau girir ivācalaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : Lorsque les formations des Dhārtarāṣṭra se brisaient de toutes parts, Karṇa—fils du Soleil, appelé Vaikartana—tint bon, ô Roi, immobile comme une montagne. Au milieu de l’effondrement et de la fuite générale, sa fermeté marque la résolution du guerrier : maintenir l’allégeance qu’il a choisie et faire face au péril sans fléchir.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfastness under pressure: even when one’s side is collapsing, a warrior may choose to remain firm in resolve and allegiance. Ethically, it foregrounds the tension between loyalty to one’s chosen cause and the grim realities of war, presenting courage and constancy as a defining martial virtue.
As the Kaurava (Dhārtarāṣṭra) formations are being broken everywhere and many are fleeing, Karna alone is described as standing unmoved on the battlefield, compared to an immovable mountain, while Vaiśampāyana narrates this to King Janamejaya.