Shloka 26
Śalya Appointed as Karṇa’s Sārathi; Discourse on Praise, Blame, and Beneficial Counsel (कर्णस्य शल्यसारथ्यं तथा स्तवनिन्दाविचारः)
वितथांस्तान् समालक्ष्य पतितांश्व महीतले,इति श्रीमहा भारते कर्णपर्वणि संकुलयुद्धे षड़्विंशो 5ध्याय:
sañjaya uvāca: vitathāṁs tān samālakṣya patitāṁś ca mahītale | iti śrīmahābhārate karṇaparvaṇi saṅkulayuddhe ṣaḍviṁśo 'dhyāyaḥ ||
അവയെല്ലാം വ്യർത്ഥമായി ഭൂമിയിൽ വീണുകിടക്കുന്നതു കണ്ടു—ഇങ്ങനെ ശ്രീമഹാഭാരതത്തിലെ കർണപർവത്തിലെ സംകുലയുദ്ധവിവരണത്തിലുള്ള ഇരുപത്തിയാറാം അധ്യായം സമാപിച്ചു।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse functions as a moral and narrative punctuation: in war, inflated claims and intentions are exposed as 'vitatha' (futile/false) when the reality of death and defeat brings warriors down to the earth. It hints at the ethical cost of violence and the fragility of human pride.
Sañjaya reports that he sees certain figures (previously described in the chapter) fallen on the battlefield, and the line then transitions into the formal colophon marking the end of the chapter within the Karṇa Parva’s account of the chaotic battle.