Shloka 36
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 2: Karṇa’s lament, vow, and battle preparation after Bhīṣma’s fall
ह | ७०७५. है 9 क्र 527 4 व /ध “3.7० ४ "१५५ 3 7 २५ कक £िए 2/ "पी ३६०४४ 086: हे हु; वरूथिना महता सध्वजेन सुवर्णमुक्तामणिरत्नमालिना । सदश्वयुक्तेन रथेन कर्णो मेघस्वनेनार्क इवामितौजा:,सुवर्ण, मुक्ता, मणि तथा रत्नोंकी मालासे अलंकृत सुन्दर ध्वजासे सुशोभित, उत्तम घोड़ोंसे जुते हुए तथा मेघके समान गम्भीर घोष करनेवाले रथके द्वारा अमित तेजस्वी कर्ण विशाल सेना साथ लिये युद्धभूमिकी ओर चल दिया
sañjaya uvāca | varūthinā mahatā sadhvajena suvarṇamuktāmaṇiratnamālinā | sadaśvayuktena rathena karṇo meghasvanenārka ivāmitaujāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then Karṇa—of immeasurable prowess—set out toward the battlefield, accompanied by a vast host. His chariot, yoked to excellent horses, rolled with a deep, cloud-like roar; it was adorned with a splendid banner and garlanded with gold, pearls, gems, and precious stones. The scene frames Karṇa’s martial resolve and the ethical tension of war: outward magnificence and power moving inexorably toward violent duty and consequence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the contrast between external grandeur and the grim ethical reality of war: martial excellence and royal splendor do not remove the burden of responsibility for violence and its consequences. It also reflects the kṣatriya ideal of advancing to battle with resolve, even when the path is morally fraught.
Sañjaya describes Karṇa moving toward the battlefield with a large force. Karṇa’s chariot is portrayed as richly ornamented and loudly rumbling like thunder, and his radiance is compared to the sun—an image meant to convey his formidable presence as the conflict intensifies in Droṇa Parva.