Shloka 42
कृष्णोपदेशः, अर्जुनस्य क्षमा-याचनम्, कर्णवध-अनुज्ञा
Krishna’s Counsel, Arjuna’s Apology, and Authorization for Karṇa’s Slaying
ततो मुहूर्ताद् राजेन्द्र नातिकृच्छाद्धसन्निव । विरथं भीमकर्माणं भीम॑ कर्णशक्षकार ह,राजेन्द्र! फिर एक भल्लसे उनके सारथिको यमलोक भेज दिया और तुरंत ही एक बाणसे उनके धनुषको भी काटकर बिना विशेष कष्टके ही मुहूर्तभरमें हँसते हुए-से कर्णने भयंकर पराक्रमी भीमसेनको रथहीन कर दिया
tato muhūrtād rājendra nātikṛcchād hasann iva | virathaṃ bhīmakarmāṇaṃ bhīmaṃ karṇaḥ śastrakāra ha ||
Sañjaya said: Then, O king, within a short while—and with no great exertion, as though smiling—Karna rendered the mighty Bhīma, famed for terrible deeds, without a chariot. In the flow of battle, he first struck down Bhīma’s charioteer and at once severed his bow, thus stripping him of the means to fight from his car and exposing him to grave peril.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how quickly fortune can turn in war: prowess and composure can dismantle an opponent’s defenses in moments. It also underscores the ethical tension of battlefield conduct—victory often comes by disabling the enemy’s supports (chariot, bow, charioteer), exposing the fragility beneath heroic stature.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Karna, with apparent ease, neutralizes Bhīma’s chariot-fighting capacity—killing the charioteer and cutting the bow—thereby making Bhīma ‘viratha’ (chariotless) within a short time.