Shloka 53
रथचक्रं च कर्णस्य बभञठ्ज स महाबल: । भग्नचक्रे रथेडतिष्ठदकम्प: शैलराडिव,इतना ही नहीं, महाबली भीमने कर्णके रथका एक पहिया भी तोड़ डाला तो भी कर्ण टूटे पहियेवाले उस रथपर गिरिराजके समान अविचलभावसे खड़ा रहा
rathacakraṃ ca karṇasya babhañja sa mahābalaḥ | bhagnacakre rathe tiṣṭhad akampaḥ śailarāḍ iva ||
Sañjaya said: The mighty Bhīma shattered one of Karṇa’s chariot-wheels. Yet even when his chariot’s wheel was broken, Karṇa stood firm upon that chariot—unshaken, like a king of mountains. The passage highlights the warrior’s steadiness under sudden loss and danger, where composure and resolve become as decisive as weapons in the moral pressure of battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
In the midst of violence and uncertainty, the verse foregrounds inner steadiness (akampa) as a defining mark of heroic discipline: even when circumstances collapse (a broken wheel), one’s resolve and composure can remain firm.
During the battle, Bhīma strikes Karṇa’s chariot and breaks a wheel. Despite this sudden disadvantage, Karṇa does not panic or falter; he remains standing on the chariot, compared to an immovable mountain.