Shloka 10
धृतराष्ट्रस्य मूर्च्छा स्त्रीणां च आर्तनादः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Collapse and the Lament of the Palace Women
पश्यध्वं च महात्मानं कर्ण वैकर्तनं युधि । प्रचरन्तं महेष्वासं दिव्यैरस्त्रैमहाबलम्,“देखिये, महामना, महाधनुर्धर और महाबली वैकर्तन कर्ण अपने दिव्यास्त्रोंके साथ किस प्रकार युद्धमें विचर रहा है?
paśyadhvaṃ ca mahātmānaṃ karṇa vaikartanaṃ yudhi | pracarantaṃ maheṣvāsaṃ divyair astrair mahābalam ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Lihatlah Karṇa Vaikartana di medan perang—berjiwa agung, pemanah unggul, perkasa lagi kuat—bergerak di tengah pertempuran sambil menghunus senjata-senjata ilahinya. Saksikan bagaimana kekuatan dan keperkasaannya menjelajah seluruh perang.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how epic narration frames martial excellence: power, skill, and divine weaponry can inspire awe, yet they remain ethically ambivalent—strength in war is not itself a guarantee of dharma, only a force that must be directed by right judgment.
Sañjaya, reporting the battle to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, draws attention to Karṇa’s movements and effectiveness in combat, portraying him as a formidable archer roaming the field and deploying divine astras.