Shloka 283
अमोघशक्तिव्यंसनप्रश्नः — Why Karṇa’s Śakti Was Not Used on Arjuna
तलेन नाशयामास कर्णस्यैवाग्रत: स्थित: । गर्जना करते हुए ही उन्होंने बायें हाथसे जयरातको झटका देकर उसे थप्पड़से मार डाला। फिर वे कर्णके ही सामने जाकर खड़े हो गये
talena nāśayāmāsa karṇasyaivāgrataḥ sthitaḥ | garjanāṃ kurvata eva te bāyena hastena jayadrathaṃ jhaṭakā dattvā taṃ tāḍayāmāsuḥ | punaḥ sa karṇasyaiva sammukhe gatvā tiṣṭhāmāsa |
Standing right before Karṇa, he struck down Jayadratha with a blow of his palm. Roaring as he acted, he seized Jayadratha with his left hand, jerked him, and killed him with a slap; then he deliberately stepped forward and stood again directly in Karṇa’s presence. The scene underscores the fierce immediacy of battlefield justice—swift, public, and meant to break the enemy’s morale as much as his body.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the kṣatriya battlefield ethic of decisive action: in war, outcomes are immediate and public, and a warrior’s stance—standing openly before a formidable foe—signals resolve and the intent to shatter the enemy’s confidence as well as to secure justice for prior wrongs.
Sañjaya reports that a warrior, positioned right in front of Karṇa, kills Jayadratha with a palm-blow while roaring, jerking him with the left hand, and then steps forward to stand again directly before Karṇa, emphasizing a bold, confrontational posture.