Shloka 52
सम्भग्नं हि बल॑ दृष्टवा बलात् पार्थेन तावकम् | भधनुर्विस्फारयन् कर्णस्तस्थौ शत्रुजिघांसया,अर्जुनने बलपूर्वक आपकी सेनाको भगा दिया है--यह देखकर कर्ण शत्रुओंका वध करनेकी इच्छासे धनुष तानकर खड़ा हो गया
saṃbhagnaṃ hi balaṃ dṛṣṭvā balāt pārthena tāvakam | dhanur visphārayan karṇas tasthau śatru-jighāṃsayā ||
Sañjaya said: Seeing your army shattered by the force of Pārtha (Arjuna), Karṇa stood firm, twanging and drawing his bow, intent on the destruction of the enemy. The verse frames a decisive escalation: the collapse of one side’s formation provokes a renewed, lethal resolve in a principal warrior, highlighting how battlefield duty and personal enmity converge into immediate action.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the kṣatriya battlefield ethos: when one’s forces are broken, a leading warrior is expected to reassert courage and take responsibility. Ethically, it also shows how anger and the urge to retaliate can intensify violence, turning duty into personal vendetta.
Arjuna has forcefully scattered the Kaurava troops. Observing this rout, Karṇa responds immediately by standing his ground and sounding/twanging his bow as a signal of readiness, determined to strike down the opposing warriors.