Shloka 11
स निवृत्तस्तत: कर्ण: संघट्टधित इवोरग: । भीममावारयामास विकिरन् निशितान् शरान्,तदनन्तर पैरोंसे कुचले गये सर्पके समान कुपित हो कर्ण लौट पड़ा और तीखे बाणोंकी वर्षा करके भीमको रोकने लगा
sa nivṛttas tataḥ karṇaḥ saṅghaṭṭadhita ivoragaḥ | bhīmam āvārayāmāsa vikirann niśitān śarān ||
Sañjaya said: Then Karṇa, having turned back—like a serpent enraged after being trampled—checked Bhīma’s advance, scattering a shower of razor-sharp arrows. The verse underscores the battlefield ethic of relentless counteraction: injury and humiliation ignite wrath, and warriors respond by restraining the opponent through force rather than retreat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how wounded pride and pain can inflame anger, leading to immediate retaliation; it also reflects the kṣatriya battlefield code where an opponent is checked through decisive action rather than withdrawal.
Karna turns back in fury—compared to a trampled serpent—and blocks Bhima by raining sharp arrows, preventing Bhima’s forward movement in the ongoing battle.