Shloka 126
कर्णेन युधिष्ठिरानीकविदारणम् / Karṇa’s Breach of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Battle-Line
त्वयि कर्णक्ष् राज्यं च वयं चैव प्रतिष्ठिता: । विजयश्नैव संग्रामे संयच्छाद्य हयोत्तमान्
tvayi karṇakṣa rājyam ca vayam caiva pratiṣṭhitāḥ | vijayaś caiva saṅgrāme saṁyacchādya hayottamān ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai Karṇa, pada dirimulah terletak kerajaan dan kami semua; pada dirimulah juga terletak kemenangan dalam pertempuran. Maka hari ini, di medan perang, kuasailah kuda-kuda unggul ini dan kendalikanlah dengan baik.”
पितामह उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical weight of responsibility in leadership: when a community’s safety and success depend on one person’s competence, that person must exercise self-control and disciplined action—here symbolized by mastering and properly managing the war-horses.
Bhīṣma addresses Karṇa, emphasizing that the Kauravas’ kingdom and prospects of victory hinge on him, and urges him to take firm control of the excellent horses—an immediate tactical instruction framed as a reminder of Karṇa’s pivotal role in the war.