Shloka 16
कर्णनिधनश्रवणम् — Hearing of Karṇa’s Fall and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament
भगदत्तो महीपाल: क्षत्रधर्मरत: सदा । धनंजयेन विक्रम्य गमितो यमसादनम्
Bhagadatto mahīpālaḥ kṣatradharmarataḥ sadā | dhanañjayena vikramya gamito yamasādanam ||
Sañjaya said: King Bhagadatta, ever devoted to the warrior’s code, was overpowered by Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) and sent to the abode of Yama. The verse frames Bhagadatta’s death not merely as defeat, but as the fated end of a kṣatriya who lived by martial duty, meeting death in battle at the hands of a superior hero.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma: a warrior-king who consistently lives by martial duty meets his destined end in battle. It presents death in righteous combat as the natural culmination of a life committed to the warrior’s code, while also underscoring the decisive power of a superior opponent.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhagadatta, a prominent allied king, has been overcome by Arjuna (Dhanañjaya) and killed—described as being sent to Yama’s abode—marking a significant loss for the Kaurava side in the Karṇa Parva battle sequence.