Shloka 106
Chapter 137: Yuyudhāna (Sātyaki) Slays Somadatta; Yudhiṣṭhira Redirected from Droṇa
भीमसेनमनादृत्य रणे<युध्यत सूतज: । अकेला सूतपुत्र महाबाहु कर्ण ही अपने बाहुबलके घमंडमें भरकर भीमसेनका तिरस्कार करके रणभूमिमें उनके साथ जूझता रहा
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | bhīmasenam anādṛtya raṇe 'yudhyata sūtajaḥ | akelaḥ sūtaputraḥ mahābāhuḥ karṇaḥ hi svabāhubalasya garveṇa bharitaḥ bhīmasenaṃ tiraskṛtya raṇabhūmau tena saha yuyudhe |
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: Disregarding Bhīmasena, the charioteer’s son fought on the battlefield. Karṇa—mighty-armed and alone—swollen with pride in his own strength, scorned Bhīma and continued to grapple with him in the field of war. The verse highlights how arrogance born of prowess can harden into contempt, even amid a struggle where restraint and discernment are ethically demanded.
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores a moral tension in warfare: valor without humility turns into arrogance, and arrogance expresses itself as contempt for others. Even in kṣatriya combat, ethical discernment is tested—strength should be governed by self-control rather than pride.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra describes Karṇa continuing to fight Bhīma on the battlefield. Karṇa, fighting alone, relies on his own might and—filled with pride—treats Bhīma with disregard while persisting in the duel.