Shloka 5
कर्ण-पाण्डव-संमर्दः — Karṇa and Arjuna’s Intensified Engagement
संजय उवाच रथमन्यं समास्थाय विधिवत् कल्पितं पुन: । अभ्ययात् पाण्डवं कर्णो गज त इवार्णव:,संजय कहते हैं--राजन्! बोध वेगसे ऊपर उठते हुए समुद्रके समान कर्णने विधिपूर्वक सजाये हुए दूसरे रथपर आरूढ़ होकर पुनः पाण्डुनन्दन भीमपर आक्रमण किया
sañjaya uvāca | ratham anyaṃ samāsthāya vidhivat kalpitaṃ punaḥ | abhyayāt pāṇḍavaṃ karṇo gajata ivārṇavaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “O King, Karṇa, mounting another chariot that had been duly prepared according to rule, once again charged at the Pāṇḍava—like the ocean swelling with a roaring surge.” The verse underscores the relentless momentum of battle: even after setbacks, a warrior re-equips and returns to the fray, intensifying the moral pressure of war where resolve and aggression contend with righteousness and restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfast determination and preparedness in the warrior code: Karṇa, after changing to a properly equipped chariot, renews his assault. Ethically, it reflects how persistence and martial discipline can intensify violence, pressing the listener to consider the cost of relentless escalation in a dharma-conflicted war.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Karṇa mounts a newly prepared chariot and again advances to attack the Pāṇḍava opponent (understood here as Bhīma in the surrounding narration), compared to a roaring, swelling ocean.