Shloka 11
कर्ण-पाण्डव-संमर्दः — Karṇa and Arjuna’s Intensified Engagement
भीमसेनके द्वारा कर्णकी पराजय व्याप्राविव सुसंरब्धौ श्येनाविव च शीघ्रगौ । शरभाविव संक्रुद्धौ युयुधाते परस्परम्,वे दो व्याप्रोंके समान रोषावेशमें भरकर दो बाजोंके समान परस्पर शीजघ्रतापूर्वक झपटते थे तथा अत्यन्त क्रोधमें भरे हुए दो शरभोंके समान परस्पर युद्ध करते थे
bhīmasenena karṇasya parājaye vyāprāv iva susaṁrabdhau śyenāv iva ca śīghragau | śarabhāv iva saṁkruddhau yuyudhāte parasparam ||
Sañjaya said: As Bhīmasena pressed Karṇa toward defeat, the two warriors, inflamed with fierce wrath, closed upon each other—like enraged tigers, like swift hawks striking in flight, and like maddened śarabhas locked in combat. Their encounter shows how, in the heat of war, anger and rivalry can drive even great heroes into a relentless, almost bestial contest, where prowess eclipses restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how anger and competitive pride can dominate the battlefield, pushing warriors into relentless violence. It implicitly contrasts raw fury with the ideal of disciplined kṣatriya conduct—valor guided by restraint and dharma rather than by uncontrolled rage.
Sañjaya describes Bhīma and Karṇa clashing at close quarters. Their speed and ferocity are compared to tigers, hawks, and śarabhas, emphasizing an intense duel in which each repeatedly attacks the other with furious determination.