Shloka 45
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ५७
Arjuna’s targeted advance; Śalya–Karṇa dialogue; interception attempts
कर्ण पश्य महारज्गे ज्वलन्तमिव पावकम् | असौ भीमो महेष्वास: संनिवृत्तो रणं प्रति
sañjaya uvāca | karṇa paśya mahāraṅge jvalantam iva pāvakam | asau bhīmo maheṣvāsaḥ saṃnivṛtto raṇaṃ prati |
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Karṇa, lihatlah—di pentas perang yang luas ini dia menyala bagaikan api. Itulah Bhīma, pemanah agung; dia telah berpaling dan kini kembali menuju medan pertempuran.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral-psychological dimension of war: a warrior’s resolve can appear as a consuming fire, reminding the listener that inner determination and wrath, once rekindled, drive one back into conflict—an image that also warns of war’s self-feeding intensity.
Sañjaya reports to Karṇa that Bhīma, described as a mighty archer, has turned back and is moving again toward the fighting; the battlefield is pictured as a grand arena, and Bhīma’s presence is likened to blazing fire.