Shloka 29
Karṇa’s advance against the Pāṇḍava host; Arjuna’s clash with the Saṃśaptakas (कर्णस्य पाण्डवसेनाप्रवेशः—अर्जुनस्य संशप्तकसंप्रहारः)
स तु लब्ध्वा वरं वीरस्तारकाक्षसुतो हरि:
sa tu labdhvā varaṃ vīras tārakākṣa-suto hariḥ, tapa ugraṃ samāsthāya niyame parame sthitāḥ |
ドゥルヨーダナは言った。「その時、神々がダイティヤ族を打ち破ったと聞いている。王よ、ダイティヤが征服されるや、ターラカースラの三人の子—ターラカークシャ、カマラークシャ、ヴィドゥユンマーリー—は苛烈な苦行（タパス）に身を寄せ、最高の戒律と自制の修行に堅く立った。」
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring epic ethic: power can be regained or transformed through disciplined austerity (tapas) and strict observance (niyama). Even after defeat, steadfast self-restraint and spiritual effort are portrayed as a means to obtain boons and reassert agency—raising questions about how ascetic power may be used for righteous or destructive ends.
Duryodhana recalls a traditional account: after the gods defeat the Daityas, Tārakāsura’s three sons (Tārakākṣa, Kamalākṣa, Vidyunmālī) undertake severe austerities and maintain strict vows, setting the stage for receiving extraordinary boons and becoming formidable again.