Shloka 5
Jayadrathasya varaprāptiḥ (जयद्रथस्य वरप्राप्तिः) — Jayadratha’s boon and the restraint of the Pāṇḍava advance
कर्णिकारमिवाधूतं वातेनापतितं नगात् | तब अभिमन्युने मुसकराते हुए-से अपने धनुषको खींचकर एक ही बाणसे कर्णके भाईका मस्तक धड़से अलग कर दिया। उसका वह सिर रथसे नीचे पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़ा, मानो वायुके वेगसे हिलकर उखड़ा हुआ कनेरका वृक्ष पर्ववशिखरसे नीचे गिर गया हो ।। ४ ५ * चल हे ७ चर * >> ॥ 225..+ ड्ू | गज 4 ./ #&#& 4 - - #--4 7: ै ७०३५०००नकु 724 5६ है. केला 0६०२ - हि फीस 2 जय 4 २८ तय... 4 (82 " 442 भ्रातरं निहतं दृष्टवा राजन् कर्णो व्यथां ययौ,राजन्! अपने भाईको मारा गया देख कर्णको बड़ी व्यथा हुई। इधर सुभद्राकुमार अभिमन्युने गीधकी पाँखवाले बाणोंद्वारा कर्णको युद्धसे भगाकर दूसरे-दूसरे महाधनुर्धर वीरोंपर भी तुरंत ही धावा किया
karṇikāram ivādhūtaṃ vātenāpatitaṃ nagāt | tataḥ abhimanyunā muskarātehuve-se svadhanuṣaṃ ākarṣyaikenaiva bāṇena karṇasya bhrātur mastakaṃ dharāt pṛthak kṛtam | tasya tacchiraḥ rathāt pṛthivīṃ papāta, yathā vāyuvegena kampitvā samūlam uddhṛtaḥ karṇikāra-vṛkṣaḥ parvataśikhār avarohati ||
Sañjaya said: Like a karṇikāra tree shaken by the wind and torn from a mountain slope, Abhimanyu—drawing his bow with a grim, almost smiling composure—severed with a single arrow the head of Karṇa’s brother from his body. The severed head fell from the chariot onto the earth, as though a wind-tossed tree, uprooted, had plunged down from a peak. Seeing his brother slain, Karṇa was struck with sharp anguish; yet Abhimanyu, driving Karṇa back with arrows fletched like vulture-wings, immediately turned his assault upon other great bowmen as well.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the harsh ethical landscape of kṣatriya warfare: decisive action in battle brings immediate, irreversible consequences, and even mighty warriors like Karṇa are not immune to grief. It juxtaposes martial excellence with human vulnerability—valor does not cancel sorrow.
Sañjaya describes Abhimanyu’s swift feat: with one arrow he beheads Karṇa’s brother, whose head falls from the chariot like an uprooted tree from a mountain. Karṇa, seeing this, is pained; Abhimanyu then drives Karṇa back with sharp arrows and quickly attacks other great archers.