Shloka 11
Adhyāya 141 — Night duels: Śaineya and Bhūriśravas; Droṇi and Ghaṭotkaca; Bhīma and Duryodhana
ततः क्रुद्धो रणे कर्ण: पीडितो दृढ्धन्वना । वेग॑ं चक्रे महावेगो भीमसेनरथं प्रति,सुदृढ़ धनुष धारण करनेवाले भीमसेनसे पीड़ित हुए महान् वेगशाली कर्णने रणभूमिमें कुपित हो भीमसेनके रथकी ओर बड़े वेगसे आक्रमण किया
tataḥ kruddho raṇe karṇaḥ pīḍito dṛḍhadhanvanā | vegaṃ cakre mahāvego bhīmasenarathaṃ prati ||
Sañjaya said: Then Karṇa, angered on the battlefield and hard-pressed by the steadfast archer, gathered his tremendous speed and surged in a fierce assault toward Bhīmasena’s chariot. In the moral atmosphere of the war, the verse highlights how wounded pride and pressure in combat can ignite wrath, driving a warrior to escalate violence rather than restrain it.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse illustrates how anger born of being pressured in conflict can propel a warrior into rash escalation. Ethically, it contrasts disciplined valor with wrath-driven action, reminding readers that inner control is as crucial as martial skill.
Sañjaya reports that Karṇa, provoked and hard-pressed by a firm-bowed opponent, summons great speed and charges toward Bhīmasena’s chariot, intensifying the direct confrontation with Bhīma.