Shloka 41
कर्णनिधनश्रवणम् — Hearing of Karṇa’s Fall and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament
उग्रकर्मा महेष्वासो नामत: कर्मतस्तथा । शाल्वराजो महाबाहुर्भीमसेनेन पातित:,जो महान धनुर्धर तथा नाम और कर्मसे भी उमग्रकर्मा थे, उन महाबाहु शाल्वराजको भीमसेनने मार गिराया
ugrakarmā maheṣvāso nāmataḥ karmatastathā | śālvarājo mahābāhur bhīmasenena pātitaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: The mighty-armed king of Śālva—an excellent archer, renowned as “Ugrakarmā” both by name and by deeds—was struck down by Bhīmasena. The verse underscores how, in the moral turbulence of war, even famed warriors identified by their fierce actions meet decisive ends through the force and resolve of their opponents.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the linkage between reputation and conduct—‘Ugrakarmā’ is fierce both in name and deeds—yet in war, renown does not guarantee survival. It reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring ethical tension: kṣatriya valor and duty unfold within a destructive conflict where even celebrated warriors fall.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīmasena has felled the mighty-armed king of Śālva, a renowned great archer known as Ugrakarmā. It is a battlefield update within the Karṇa Parva’s account of ongoing slayings among prominent combatants.