Shloka 3
स कथं पाण्डवं युद्धे भ्राजमानमिव श्रिया । नातरत् संयुगे पार्थ तन््ममाचक्ष्व संजय,संजय! जो कर्ण रफक्षेत्रमें युद्धके लिये सम्पूर्ण अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंकोी धारण करके सुसज्जित हुए देवताओं तथा यक्षों, असुरों और मनुष्योंका भी निवारण कर सकता है, वह युद्धमें विजय-लक्ष्मीसे सुशोभित होते हुए-से पाण्डुनन्दन कुन्तीकुमार भीमसेनको कैसे नहीं लाँघ सका? इसका कारण मुझे बताओ
sa kathaṁ pāṇḍavaṁ yuddhe bhrājamānam iva śriyā | nātarat saṁyuge pārtha tan mamācakṣva sañjaya ||
Sañjaya said: “How was it that Karṇa, in the thick of battle, could not overpass that Pāṇḍava—Bhīmasena, the son of Pāṇḍu—who seemed to blaze with the very presence of victory and fortune? Tell me, Sañjaya, the reason for this.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how battlefield outcomes are not determined by prowess alone; the presence of śrī (fortune/victory) and the momentum of circumstance can make even a famed warrior fail to overcome an opponent. It frames victory as a blend of valor, timing, and destiny.
Sañjaya reports a pointed question: despite Karṇa’s reputation, why could he not push past/overcome the Pāṇḍava Bhīma in the clash? The line sets up an explanation of the tactical or providential reasons behind Karṇa’s inability to break through.