Shloka 29
तेजसा वह्लिसदृशो वायुवेगसमो जवे । अन्तकप्रतिम: क्रोधे सिंहसंहननो बली
sañjaya uvāca | tejasā vahlisadṛśo vāyuvegāsamo jave | antakapratimaḥ krodhe siṃhasaṃhanano balī | prayāhi śīghraṃ govinda sūtaputrajighāṃsayā |
Karna bagaikan api menyala dalam kemilau, secepat angin dalam gerak, laksana Maut dalam amarah, bertubuh bak singa, dan perkasa dalam kekuatan. Karena itu, wahai Govinda, berangkatlah segera dengan tekad menewaskan putra sais kereta.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse illustrates how martial excellence is celebrated through cosmic similes (fire, wind, death), yet it also exposes the ethical tension of war: when anger and the intent to kill dominate, even ‘dharma’ framed as warrior duty can become morally perilous. It invites reflection on how inner states (krodha) shape choices and consequences on the battlefield.
Sañjaya reports a moment of urgent mobilization: Govinda (Kṛṣṇa) is pressed to depart immediately with the purpose of killing the ‘sūtaputra’ (Karna, referred to by a socially charged epithet). The verse simultaneously characterizes Karna’s formidable power and frames the impending confrontation with heightened intensity.