Shloka 323
अवेक्षेतां तदान्योन्यं समरे कर्णपाण्डवौ | राजन्! आपकी सेनाके प्रमुख भागमें कर्ण और शत्रुओंकी सेनाके अग्रभागमें अर्जुन खड़े थे। वे दोनों उस समय विजयके लिये रोषावेशमें भरकर एक-दूसरेका वध करनेकी इच्छासे रणक्षेत्रमें परस्पर दृष्टिपात करने लगे
avekṣetāṃ tadānyonyaṃ samare karṇapāṇḍavau |
Sañjaya said: Then, in the midst of battle, Karṇa and the Pāṇḍava (Arjuna) fixed their gaze upon one another. Inflamed with wrath and intent on victory, each sought the other’s death, standing at the forefront of their respective forces—Karṇa among the leaders of the Kaurava host and Arjuna at the head of the enemy ranks. The moment underscores how personal rivalry and anger can intensify the violence of war, pressing warriors toward lethal resolve even as the larger conflict claims to be fought for duty and kingship.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how wrath and the thirst for victory can dominate a warrior’s mind, turning a duty-bound battle into a personal vendetta. It invites reflection on the ethical tension between kṣatriya-duty (fighting when required) and the moral danger of being driven by anger and the desire to kill.
Sañjaya describes a charged face-off: Karṇa stands among the foremost leaders of the Kaurava force, while Arjuna stands at the head of the opposing army. They glare at each other on the battlefield, each intent on slaying the other, signaling an imminent and decisive clash.