Shloka 40
कर्णनिधनश्रवणम् — Hearing of Karṇa’s Fall and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament
स्यथालौ तव महाराज राजानौ वृषकाचलौ । त्वदर्थमतिविक्रान्ती निहतौ सव्यसाचिना,महाराज! आपके दोनों साले राजा वृषक और अचल, जो आपके लिये अत्यन्त पराक्रम प्रकट करते थे, अर्जुनके द्वारा मार डाले गये
syathālau tava mahārāja rājānau vṛṣakācalau | tvadartham ativikrāntī nihatau savyasācinā ||
Sañjaya said: “O great king, your two royal brothers-in-law, Vṛṣa and Acala—who, for your sake, displayed extraordinary valor—have been slain by Arjuna (Savyasācin).” The report underscores the tragic cost of loyalty in war: even those fighting out of kinship and duty to their king fall before superior force, tightening the moral and emotional pressure upon Dhṛtarāṣṭra as the conflict consumes his family’s allies.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between loyalty and the destructive consequences of war: even brave kinsmen who fight ‘for your sake’ can be cut down, showing how personal attachments and political allegiance amplify suffering and moral burden.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that two kings—his brothers-in-law Vṛṣa and Acala—who fought with great valor on his side, have been killed by Arjuna, intensifying the grim battlefield news.