Mahabharata 7.181.41 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 181, Shloka 41
पलायबध्वं कुरवो नैतदस्ति सेन्द्रा देवा घ्नन्ति नः पाण्डवार्थे तथा तेषां मज्जतां भारतानां तस्मिन् द्वीप: सूतपुत्रो बभूव
sañjaya uvāca | palāyabadhvaṁ kuravo naitad asti sendrā devā ghnanti naḥ pāṇḍavārthe tathā teṣāṁ majjatāṁ bhāratānāṁ tasmin dvīpaḥ sūtaputro babhūva |
സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—“ഓ കുരുക്കളേ, ഓടിപ്പോവിൻ; മറ്റൊരു വഴിയില്ല, ഈ സൈന്യത്തെ രക്ഷിക്കാനാവില്ല. പാണ്ഡവർക്കായി ഇന്ദ്രനോടുകൂടിയ ദേവന്മാർ തന്നെ വന്ന് നമ്മെ വധിക്കുന്നു.” ഇങ്ങനെ ആ സമരസമുദ്രത്തിൽ മുങ്ങിക്കൊണ്ടിരുന്ന ഭാരതയോദ്ധാക്കൾക്ക് സൂതപുത്രൻ കർണ്ണൻ ദ്വീപുപോലെ ആശ്രയമായി.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
When a cause is perceived as aligned with a higher moral order, warriors may interpret defeat as more than human—an ethical and psychological turning point. The verse also highlights how, amid collective collapse, a single steadfast figure can become a ‘refuge’ for others, showing the moral power of courage and leadership even on a losing side.
Sañjaya reports panic among the Kauravas: they urge flight, believing the gods led by Indra are killing them for the Pāṇḍavas’ sake. In that chaos, Karṇa is portrayed as an ‘island’—a stabilizing protector for Kaurava fighters who feel they are drowning in the battle.
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