Shloka 16
Karṇa-vadha-pratyaya: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Verification of Karṇa’s Fall (कर्णवध-प्रत्ययः)
कृपश्च कृतवर्मा च शकुनिश्चापि सौबल:
sañjaya uvāca | kṛpaś ca kṛtavarmā ca śakuniś cāpi saubalaḥ, śūrasenaiḥ śūravaraiḥ yuyudhur yuddha-durmadāḥ |
Sañjaya berkata: Kripa, Kritavarmā, dan juga Śakuni putera Subala—para pahlawan yang mabuk oleh kegilaan perang—bertempur dengan sengit bersama wira-wira terunggul kaum Śūrasena. Ayat ini menonjolkan bagaimana pemimpin yang berpengalaman, didorong oleh amarah dan ghairah kepahlawanan, terus menerjah ke medan tempur, memperhebat kemusnahan perang—ketegangan etika yang berulang dalam Mahābhārata: keperkasaan dan kesetiaan boleh diperalat oleh marah dan cita-cita tamak.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how martial skill and leadership, when fueled by anger and the intoxication of combat (yuddha-durmada), can accelerate violence. It reflects the epic’s ethical concern that valor without restraint and discernment (viveka) becomes a force of ruin, even when performed under the banner of duty.
Sañjaya reports that Kṛpa, Kṛtavarmā, and Śakuni (son of Subala) are actively engaging in battle, fighting together with prominent Śūrasena heroes. It situates these Kaurava-aligned commanders in the thick of the fighting as the war intensifies.