Shloka 31
एको हि योगो5स्य भवेद् वधाय च्छिद्रे होनं स्वप्रमत्त: प्रमत्तम् । कृच्छू प्राप्त रथचक्रे विमग्ने हन्या: पूर्व त्वं तु संज्ञां विचार्य,इतनेपर भी इसके वधका एक ही उपाय है। कोई छिढठद्र प्राप्त होनेपर जब वह असावधान हो, तुम्हारे साथ युद्ध होते समय जब कर्णके रथका पहिया (शापवश) धरतीमें धँस जाय और वह संकटमें पड़ जाय, उस समय तुम पूर्ण सावधान हो मेरे संकेतपर ध्यान देकर उसे पहले ही मार डालना
eko hi yogo ’sya bhaved vadhāya chidre hīnaṁ svapramattaḥ pramattam | kṛcchraṁ prāptaṁ rathacakre vimagne hanyāḥ pūrvaṁ tvaṁ tu saṁjñāṁ vicārya ||
Vāyu said: “There is only one effective means for his killing: when he becomes vulnerable—careless while you remain fully alert—then strike. When, in the midst of combat, Karṇa’s chariot-wheel sinks into the earth (as a consequence of the curse) and he is plunged into distress, you must, being completely vigilant and heeding my signal, slay him before he can recover.”
श्रीवायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a wartime ethic of decisive action tied to opportunity: victory may hinge on a single vulnerable moment. It also highlights the tension between ideal combat norms and pragmatic strategy—divine counsel urges attentiveness and timing when the opponent is incapacitated by fate (the curse).
Vāyu instructs that Karṇa can be slain only when a specific opening arises: during battle, when Karṇa’s chariot-wheel becomes stuck in the earth due to a curse and he is distressed. At that moment, the listener is told to remain fully alert, watch for Vāyu’s signal, and kill Karṇa before he can recover.