Shloka 106
Adhyāya 141 — Night duels: Śaineya and Bhūriśravas; Droṇi and Ghaṭotkaca; Bhīma and Duryodhana
कर्णस्य वचन श्रुत्वा भीमसेनो5तिदारुणम् । उवाच कर्ण प्रहसन् सर्वेषां शुण्वतां वच:,कर्णके ये अत्यन्त कठोर वचन सुनकर भीमसेन ठठाकर हँस पड़े और सबके सुनते हुए उससे इस प्रकार बोले---
karṇasya vacanaṁ śrutvā bhīmaseno ’tidāruṇam | uvāca karṇa prahasan sarveṣāṁ śṛṇvatāṁ vacaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Hearing Karṇa’s exceedingly harsh words, Bhīmasena burst into laughter and, with everyone listening, addressed Karṇa in reply—setting the tone for a public, morally charged exchange amid the pressures of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of speech in a public setting: harsh words provoke response and escalate conflict, and laughter here signals contempt and psychological counterattack—showing how verbal conduct becomes part of kṣatriya contest and moral reputation on the battlefield.
After Karṇa utters extremely harsh words, Bhīma hears them, laughs, and then begins to speak back to Karṇa in front of all the assembled listeners, initiating a public rebuttal within the war-camp atmosphere.