Shloka 26
Somadatta’s Kṣātra-Dharma Accusation; Night Combat, Māyā, and the Fall of Ghaṭotkaca
Droṇa-parva, Adhyāya 131
अथान्यद् धनुरादाय सज्यं कृत्वा च सूतज: । विव्याध समरे भीम॑ भीमकर्मा महारथ:,तत्पश्चात् भयंकर कर्म करनेवाले महारथी सूतपुत्र कर्णने दूसरा धनुष लेकर उसपर प्रत्यंचा चढ़ायी और समरभूमिमें भीमसेनको घायल कर दिया
athānyad dhanur ādāya sajyaṃ kṛtvā ca sūtajaḥ | vivyādha samare bhīmaṃ bhīmakarmā mahārathaḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Kemudian anak si kusir (Karṇa) mengambil busur yang lain, memasang talinya, lalu di medan tempur menikam Bhīma hingga terluka. Sang maharathi yang masyhur dengan perbuatan menggerunkan itu menyerang dengan tekad yang tidak surut.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim efficiency of warrior skill in wartime: excellence in arms can become fearsome when applied in a conflict where duty and rivalry compel violence. It invites reflection on how dharma in war (kṣatriya-duty) operates within a morally heavy arena of harm and consequence.
Sañjaya reports that Karna, after taking up a different bow and stringing it, shoots and wounds Bhīma on the battlefield, emphasizing Karna’s status as a mahāratha and his terrifying effectiveness in combat.