Shloka 19
Karṇa’s Camp-Council Discourse: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament, Sañjaya’s Counsel, and Karṇa’s Request for Śalya
Book 8, Chapter 22
प्राविशद् धरणीं राजन् वल्मीकमिव पन्नग: । ततः सम्मुमुहे राज॑ंस्तव पुत्रो महारथ:
prāviśad dharaṇīṁ rājan valmīkam iva pannagaḥ | tataḥ sammumuhe rājaṁs tava putro mahārathaḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Raja, anak panah itu menancap ke bumi laksana ular masuk ke sarangnya. Maka, wahai Raja, putramu—kesatria kereta agung itu—jatuh pingsan.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the immediacy of karmic consequence in war: prowess and armor do not guarantee steadiness of mind. Even a ‘mahāratha’ can be overcome by shock, reminding the listener that violence destabilizes both body and consciousness, and that pride in martial status is fragile.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that an arrow, after its strike, plunges into the ground like a serpent entering an anthill; as a result, Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son (the great chariot-warrior) becomes stunned and faints.