Shloka 19
कर्णपुत्रवधः (The Fall of Vṛṣasena) — Karṇa Parva, Adhyāya 62
तथैव कर्ण: संरब्धो युधिष्ठिरमताडयत् । शरैस्ती&णै: पराविध्य माद्रीपुत्रोी च पाण्डवी
tathaiva karṇaḥ saṃrabdho yudhiṣṭhiram atāḍayat | śarais tīkṣṇaiḥ parāvidhya mādrīputrau ca pāṇḍavau ||
Sañjaya said: In the same manner, Karṇa—his anger fully aroused—struck Yudhiṣṭhira. Piercing him with sharp arrows, he also shot down the two Pāṇḍava sons of Mādrī, pressing the battle forward with relentless force. The verse underscores how wrath and martial prowess, when unchecked by restraint, intensify the violence of war and deepen the moral burden borne by all combatants.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how anger (saṃrambha) fuels escalation in war: martial skill becomes more destructive when driven by rage rather than disciplined duty. It implicitly points to the ethical weight of kṣatriya action—victory pursued through uncontrolled passion increases suffering and karmic responsibility.
Sañjaya reports that Karṇa, enraged, attacks Yudhiṣṭhira with sharp arrows and also strikes the two sons of Mādrī—Nakula and Sahadeva—wounding multiple Pāṇḍava warriors in quick succession during the Karṇa Parva battle.