Shloka 2
अन्धकार-रजःसंमूढे रणाङ्गणे प्रदीपप्रकाशः | Illumination of the Army in Darkness and Dust
आगस्कृतमिवात्मानं मेने चाधिरथिस्तदा । यत्प्रत्यक्ष॑ं तव सुता भीमेन निहता रणे,उस समय अधिरथपुत्र कर्ण अपने-आपको अपराधी-सा मानने लगा; क्योंकि भीमसेनने उसकी आँखोंके सामने रणभूमिमें आपके पुत्रोंको मार डाला था
sa f1jaya uv01ca |
01gask5tam iv01tm01na 43 mene c01dhirathis tad01 |
yat pratyak 63a 43 tava sut01 bh2bmena nihat01 ra 47e ||
Sanjaya said: Then Adhirathi (Karna) regarded himself as though guilty, for right before his eyes your sons had been slain in battle by Bhimasena. The moment frames Karna 27s inward moral unease: despite his prowess and loyalty to Duryodhana, he feels implicated when the Kaurava princes fall under his watch, exposing the ethical weight of alliance and responsibility amid war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a righteous role such as a warrior 27s duty, one remains morally accountable for the outcomes of one 27s alliances and actions. Karna 27s feeling of guilt highlights the ethical burden of supporting a cause that leads to the destruction of those one is pledged to protect.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Karna, witnessing Bhima slay Dhritarashtra 27s sons on the battlefield, inwardly feels blameworthy. The verse captures Karna 27s immediate reaction to the visible collapse of the Kaurava side in that moment.