Shloka 306
कर्णस्य सेनापत्याभिषेकः | Karṇa’s Consecration as Commander-in-Chief
कृत्वा नसुकरं कर्म गतो वैवस्वतक्षयम् । महाराज! चेदिदेशका श्रेष्ठ रथी धृष्टकेतु भी युद्धमें दुष्कर कर्म करके यमलोकका पथिक हो गया
kṛtvā na sukaraṃ karma gato vaivasvatakṣayam | mahārāja dhṛṣṭaketuḥ śreṣṭho rathī yuddhe duṣkaraṃ karma kṛtvā yamaloka-pathaḥ prāpnoti |
സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—മഹാരാജാ! യുദ്ധത്തിൽ ദുഷ്കരമായ കർമ്മം നിർവഹിച്ചു, ചേതി ദേശത്തിലെ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ രഥി ധൃഷ്ടകേതു വൈവസ്വതന്റെ (യമന്റെ) ധാമത്തിലേക്ക് പോയി।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the impermanence of martial glory: even the foremost warrior, after performing a difficult exploit, meets death. It frames battlefield heroism within a larger ethical and existential horizon—actions have weight, but mortality is inescapable.
Sanjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Dhṛṣṭaketu, a distinguished chariot-warrior, performed a formidable deed in the fighting and then fell, departing to Yama’s realm (the abode of Death).