Shloka 3
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 2: Karṇa’s lament, vow, and battle preparation after Bhīṣma’s fall
हते तु भीष्मे रथसत्तमे परै- निमज्जतीं नावमिवार्णवे कुरून् । पितेव पुत्रांस्त्वरितो5भ्ययात् ततः संतारयिष्यंस्तव पुत्रस्य सेनाम्,रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ भीष्मके शत्रुओंद्वारा मारे जानेपर, जैसे पिता अपने पुत्रोंको संकटसे बचानेके लिये जाता हो, उसी प्रकार सूतपुत्र कर्ण डूबती हुई नौकाके समान आपके पुत्रकी सेनाको संकटसे उबारनेके लिये बड़ी उतावलीके साथ दुर्योधनके निकट आ पहुँचा
sañjaya uvāca |
hate tu bhīṣme rathasattame paraiḥ nimajjatīṃ nāvam ivārṇave kurūn |
pitevā putrāṃs tvarito 'bhyayāt tataḥ santārayiṣyaṃs tava putrasya senām ||
Sañjaya said: When Bhīṣma—the foremost of chariot-warriors—had been slain by the enemy, the Kuru host began to sink like a boat foundering in the ocean. Then Karṇa, the son of a charioteer, hurried forward to Duryodhana, as a father would rush to rescue his sons, intending to bring your son’s army safely through that संकट.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights crisis-leadership and steadfast loyalty: when a central protector (Bhīṣma) falls and the army loses morale, Karṇa responds with urgent responsibility, likened to a father rescuing his children—an ethical ideal of protective commitment amid chaos.
After Bhīṣma is killed, the Kuru forces are depicted as collapsing like a sinking boat. Karṇa quickly goes to Duryodhana, intending to stabilize and ‘carry across’ the endangered army, signaling a shift in command and morale.