Shloka 11
Chapter 61: Karṇa’s martial assurances and Bhīṣma’s strategic rebuttal in the Kuru assembly
बाणस्य भौमस्य च कर्ण हन्ता किरीटिनं रक्षति वासुदेव: । यस्त्वादृशानां च वरीयसां च हन्ता रिपूण्णां तुमुले प्रगाढे
bāṇasya bhaumasya ca karṇa hantā kirīṭinaṃ rakṣati vāsudevaḥ | yastvādṛśānāṃ ca varīyasāṃ ca hantā ripūṇṇāṃ tumule pragāḍhe
Waiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai Karṇa, Vāsudeva—pembunuh Bāṇa dan Bhūma—melindungi Arjuna yang bermahkota. Dan engkau pun, ketika pertempuran menjadi gaduh dan kian mengganas, adalah pembantai musuh, bahkan yang perkasa dan terkemuka sekalipun.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts two sources of battlefield power: divine guardianship (Kṛṣṇa protecting Arjuna) and human martial prowess (Karṇa as a fearsome slayer). Ethically, it highlights that victory is not merely personal strength; protection, alliance, and the moral weight of one’s cause and companions shape outcomes in war.
In Udyoga Parva’s pre-war setting, Vaiśampāyana reports a statement that frames the coming conflict: Arjuna is safeguarded by Kṛṣṇa, who has overcome great foes (Bāṇa and Bhauma), while Karṇa is portrayed as capable of cutting down even eminent warriors amid the thickest, most chaotic fighting—intensifying the sense of impending, high-stakes battle.