Shloka 21
कर्णवधार्थं धनञ्जयस्य प्रतिज्ञा — Arjuna’s resolve for Karṇa’s defeat
रथबन्धमिमं घोर पृथिव्यां नास्ति कश्नन । यः सहेत पुमॉल्लोके मदन्यो यदुपुजड्गव
sañjaya uvāca | rathabandham imaṃ ghoraṃ pṛthivyāṃ nāsti kaścana | yaḥ saheta pumāṃl loke madanyo yadu-puṅgava ||
Wahai yang terbaik di antara kaum Yadu, di bumi ini tiada seorang pun selain aku yang sanggup menahan ratha-bandha yang mengerikan ini—cengkeraman rapat dan kepungan kereta-kereta perang.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the Kshatriya ideal of steadfastness under extreme pressure: the ability to endure and counter formidable battle-formations. It also reflects how martial confidence and reputation function as moral capital in epic warfare—courage is presented as a defining virtue, though it can shade into pride.
In the midst of the Karna Parva battle account, the speaker (Sanjaya) describes a terrifying chariot-encirclement tactic (ratha-bandha) and declares that no one on earth except himself could withstand it, addressing the listener as “best of the Yadus.”