Shloka 19
दुःशासनवधः (Duḥśāsana-vadha) — Bhīma’s vow-fulfillment in combat
ततो दश दिश: कर्ण: शलभैरिव यायिभि:
tato daśa diśaḥ karṇaḥ śalabhair iva yāyibhiḥ
サンジャヤは言った。「それからカルナの動きは十方へと広がり、飛び交う蛾の群れのように—落ち着きなく、迅く、同時にあらゆる所に現れるかのごとく—戦の奔流が節度を呑み込み始めたことを告げていた。」
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a simile to show how, in war, a powerful warrior’s activity can become all-pervading and uncontrollable—suggesting an ethical warning: when conflict escalates, it spreads rapidly and overwhelms boundaries, making restraint and discernment harder to maintain.
Sañjaya describes Karṇa’s rapid, wide-ranging movement on the battlefield. The comparison to swarming, flying moths conveys speed, multitude-like presence, and the sense that Karṇa’s attacks or maneuvers are appearing in every direction.