Shloka 41
पलायबध्वं कुरवो नैतदस्ति सेन्द्रा देवा घ्नन्ति नः पाण्डवार्थे तथा तेषां मज्जतां भारतानां तस्मिन् द्वीप: सूतपुत्रो बभूव,“कौरवो! भागो, भागो, अब किसी तरह यह सेना बच नहीं सकती। पाण्डवोंके लिये इन्द्रसहित सम्पूर्ण देवता हमें आकर मार रहे हैं।” इस प्रकार उस समर-सागरमें डूूबते हुए कौरव-सैनिकोंके लिये सूतपुत्र कर्ण द्वीपके समान आश्रयदाता बन गया
sañjaya uvāca | palāyabadhvaṁ kuravo naitad asti sendrā devā ghnanti naḥ pāṇḍavārthe tathā teṣāṁ majjatāṁ bhāratānāṁ tasmin dvīpaḥ sūtaputro babhūva |
Sañjaya said: “Flee, O Kurus—there is no other way; this army cannot be saved. For the sake of the Pāṇḍavas, the gods themselves, with Indra at their head, are striking us down.” Thus, for the Bhārata warriors who were sinking in that ocean of battle, Karṇa—the son of a charioteer—became like an island, a refuge and support amid destruction.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
When a cause is perceived as aligned with a higher moral order, warriors may interpret defeat as more than human—an ethical and psychological turning point. The verse also highlights how, amid collective collapse, a single steadfast figure can become a ‘refuge’ for others, showing the moral power of courage and leadership even on a losing side.
Sañjaya reports panic among the Kauravas: they urge flight, believing the gods led by Indra are killing them for the Pāṇḍavas’ sake. In that chaos, Karṇa is portrayed as an ‘island’—a stabilizing protector for Kaurava fighters who feel they are drowning in the battle.