Shloka 23
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 2: Karṇa’s lament, vow, and battle preparation after Bhīṣma’s fall
निबध्यतां मे कवचं विचित्र हैमं शुभ्रं मणिरत्नावभासि । शिरस्त्राणं चार्कसमानभासं धनु: शरांशक्षाग्नेविषाहिकल्पान्,“तुम मेरे शरीरमें मणियों तथा रत्नोंसे प्रकाशित सुन्दर एवं विचित्र सुवर्णमय कवच बाँध दो और मस्तकपर सूर्यके समान तेजस्वी शिरस्त्राण रख दो। अग्नि, विष तथा सर्पके समान भयंकर बाण एवं धनुष ले आओ
nibadhyatāṁ me kavacaṁ vicitra haimaṁ śubhraṁ maṇiratnāvabhāsi | śirastrāṇaṁ cārkasamānabhāsaṁ dhanuḥ śarāṁś cāgniviṣāhikalpān ||
Sañjaya said: “Fasten upon me my wondrous golden cuirass, bright and gleaming with the radiance of gems and jewels. Set upon my head a helmet shining like the sun. Bring my bow as well, and arrows dreadful as fire, poison, and serpents.” In the moral atmosphere of the epic, the verse highlights the deliberate arming of a warrior—an outward preparation for battle that also signals an inward resolve to pursue one’s chosen duty, even when it leads into fearsome violence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores purposeful readiness: a warrior consciously arms himself with protective gear and lethal weapons. Ethically, it reflects how intention and resolve precede action—preparation is not neutral, but a commitment to a chosen course of duty that carries consequences.
Sañjaya reports a warrior’s command to attendants: bind on a radiant golden armor, place a sun-bright helmet, and bring the bow and terrifying arrows likened to fire, poison, and serpents—signaling imminent engagement in battle.