Shloka 27
कृष्णोपदेशः, अर्जुनस्य क्षमा-याचनम्, कर्णवध-अनुज्ञा
Krishna’s Counsel, Arjuna’s Apology, and Authorization for Karṇa’s Slaying
ततः कर्णो महाराज आशीविष इव श्वसन्
tataḥ karṇo mahārāja āśīviṣa iva śvasan
Then Karṇa, O great king, breathed like a venomous serpent—his harsh, heated breath signaling a surge of wrath and lethal resolve as the battle’s moral and emotional tensions tightened.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a serpent-simile to show how unchecked anger and pride can become ‘poisonous’ in war—intensifying violence and narrowing ethical judgment. It highlights how inner states (wrath, agitation) shape outward action and its consequences.
Sañjaya describes Karṇa’s immediate reaction in the battle: he is visibly agitated, breathing hard like a venomous snake, indicating readiness to strike with deadly intent and signaling an escalation in the combat mood.