Shloka 120
“भरतनन्दन! जिन्होंने अपने मन और इन्द्रियोंको वशमें नहीं कर रखा है, उनके लिये कर्णके अस्त्रको रोकना अत्यन्त कठिन है। समरांगणमें इसकी चोट खाकर ये पांचाल- सैनिक सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंमें भाग रहे हैं ।।
bharatanandana! yeṣāṁ mana indriyāṇi ca vaśe na sthāpitāni, teṣāṁ karṇāstrasya nivāraṇaṁ paramaduṣkaram. samaraṅgaṇe tasya prahāraṁ prāpyaite pāñcālāḥ sainikāḥ sarvāsu diśāsu palāyante. eṣa bhīmo dṛḍhakrodho vṛtaḥ pārtha samantataḥ; sṛñjayair yodhayann karṇaḥ pīḍyate niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ.
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai keturunan Bharata, bagi mereka yang belum menaklukkan pikiran dan indra, amat sukar menahan senjata Karṇa. Terhantam dayanya di medan laga, pasukan Pāñcāla lari ke segala arah. Dan lihatlah, wahai Pārtha: Bhīma ini—teguh dalam amarah—terkepung dari segala sisi; ketika para Sṛñjaya bertempur melawan Karṇa, Bhīma pun tersakiti oleh anak-anak panah Karṇa yang tajam.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links inner discipline to outer resilience: those who have not mastered mind and senses are easily overwhelmed by fear and force in crisis. In the ethical frame of the Mahabharata, self-control (indriya-nigraha) is portrayed as a prerequisite for steadiness and right action amid the chaos of war.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Karna’s weaponry is causing the Panchala troops to scatter. At the same time, Bhima stands surrounded, and the Sṛñjaya fighters are engaging Karna; despite Karna’s ferocity, he is being pressed and hurt by their sharp arrows.