Shloka 113
Adhyāya 35 — Bhīmasena’s Counter-Encirclement and the Karṇa Engagement Escalation
अध्यतिष्ठद् यथाम्भोदं विद्युत्वन्तं दिवाकर: । कर्ण अपने उत्तम रथको सारथि शल्यसे सनाथ हुआ देख स्वयं भी उसपर आरूढ़ हुआ, मानो सूर्यदेव बिजलियोंसे युक्त मेघपर प्रतिष्ठित हुए हों
adhyatiṣṭhad yathāmbhodaṃ vidyutvantaṃ divākaraḥ | karṇaḥ svam uttama-rathaṃ sārathi-śalyena sanāthaṃ dṛṣṭvā svayam api tam āruroha, mano sūryadevo vidyud-yukte megha ādhiṣṭhitaḥ syāt ||
Sañjaya said: Just as the sun seems to take his station upon a cloud lit with lightning, so Karṇa—seeing his excellent chariot now made secure by Śalya as charioteer—mounted it himself. The image underscores the war’s grim grandeur: a mighty warrior’s confidence is strengthened by competent support, even as the scene foreshadows the peril and moral weight of the coming clash.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how power in action is amplified by right support: a warrior’s effectiveness depends not only on personal valor but also on reliable instruments and allies. Ethically, it points to the interdependence of agency and circumstance in war—confidence rises with competent backing, yet the grandeur of the moment does not erase the moral gravity of the conflict.
Sañjaya describes Karṇa seeing his excellent chariot now ‘supported’ by Śalya as charioteer; Karṇa then mounts it. The scene is framed with a simile: like the sun poised upon a lightning-filled cloud, Karṇa appears radiant and formidable as he prepares for battle.