Shloka 4
निमीलिताक्षं तं वीरं॑ साश्रुकण्ठस्तदा वृष: | भीष्म भीष्म महाबाहो इत्युवाच महाद्युति:,वीर भीष्मके नेत्र बंद थे। उन्हें देखकर महातेजस्वी कर्णकी आँखोंमें आँसू छलक आये और अभश्रुगदगदकण्ठ होकर उसने कहा--'भीष्म! भीष्म! महाबाहो! कुरुश्रेष्ठ! मैं वही राधापुत्र कर्ण हूँ, जो सदा आपकी आँखोंमें गड़ा रहता था और जिसे आप सर्वत्र द्वेषदृष्टिसे देखते थे।” कर्णने यह बात उनसे कही
sañjaya uvāca | nimīlitākṣaṃ taṃ vīraṃ sāśrukaṇṭhas tadā vṛṣaḥ | bhīṣma bhīṣma mahābāho ity uvāca mahādyutiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Seeing that hero Bhīṣma with his eyes closed, Karṇa—his voice choked with tears—spoke in anguish. The radiant warrior cried out, “Bhīṣma! Bhīṣma! O mighty-armed one!” In this moment the narrative underscores the tragic moral weight of war: even hardened fighters are shaken when confronted with the suffering of an elder and teacher-figure, and emotion breaks through the armor of pride and rivalry.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and emotional cost of warfare: even celebrated warriors are not untouched by compassion and sorrow when they witness the suffering of revered elders. It suggests that dharma in war is not merely rule-bound action but also an inner struggle where grief, respect, and past rivalries collide.
Sañjaya describes Karṇa seeing Bhīṣma lying with his eyes closed. Overcome with emotion, Karṇa’s voice becomes choked with tears, and he calls out to Bhīṣma repeatedly, addressing him with honorific epithets. The scene sets a tone of lament and confrontation with the consequences of the battle.