कर्णस्य सेनापत्याभिषेकः | Karṇa’s Consecration as Commander-in-Chief
शिखण्डितनयो युद्धे क्षत्रदेवो युधां पति:
śikhaṇḍi-tanayo yuddhe kṣatra-devo yudhāṁ patiḥ
સંજય બોલ્યો—યુદ્ધમાં શિખંડીનો પુત્ર, ક્ષત્રિયોમાં દેવતુલ્ય બની, સમરનો અધિપતિ સમાન આગળ ઊભો રહ્યો.
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of martial excellence: in war, a warrior’s stature is measured by courage, command, and effectiveness. It also reflects how epic narration elevates battlefield figures into moral-symbolic exemplars of valor.
Sañjaya is describing the battlefield scene in Karṇa Parva, noting that Śikhaṇḍī’s son is prominent in the fighting, portrayed as a supreme warrior—‘a god among kṣatriyas’—and a leader in combat.