Shloka 45
Adhyāya 36: Ghora-yuddha-varṇanam
A Clinical Description of the Intensified Engagement
ततः प्रायात् प्रीतिमान् वै रथेन वैयाप्रेण श्वेतयुजाथ कर्ण: । स चालोक्य ध्वजिनीं पाण्डवानां धनंजयं त्वरया पर्यपृच्छत्
tataḥ prāyāt prītimān vai rathena vaiyāpreṇa śvetayujātha karṇaḥ | sa cālokya dhvajinīṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ dhanañjayaṃ tvarayā paryapṛcchat ||
Kemudian Karṇa, dengan hati riang, berangkat menaiki keretanya yang lincah, ditarik kuda-kuda putih. Melihat bala Pāṇḍava berdiri di hadapannya, ia segera menanyakan keberadaan Dhanañjaya (Arjuna).
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of meeting one’s principal opponent directly, seeking honor through open confrontation. At the same time, it sits within the Mahābhārata’s ethical tension: personal valor and rivalry unfold inside a devastating civil war, where ‘duty’ and ‘desire for victory’ can blur.
Sañjaya narrates that Karṇa departs joyfully in a swift chariot drawn by white horses. On seeing the Pāṇḍava forces arrayed before him, he urgently asks where Arjuna (Dhanañjaya) is—signaling his intent to engage him in battle.