Shloka 13
कर्णवधप्रसङ्गः / The Context of Karṇa’s Fall
Krishna’s Dharmic Recollection and the Decisive Astra
तान् सूदयित्वाहमपास्य कर्ण द्रष्ट भवन्तं त्वरयाभियात: । सर्वे पज्चाला हाद्विजन्ते सम कर्ण दृष्टवा गाव: केसरिणं यथैव,उन पचासों रथियोंका संहार करके कर्णको छोड़कर मैं बड़ी उतावलीके साथ आपका दर्शन करनेके लिये चला आया हूँ। जैसे गौएँ सिंहको देखकर डर जाती हैं, उसी प्रकार सारे पांचाल-सैनिक कर्णको देखकर उद्विग्न हो उठते हैं
tān sūdayitvāham apāsya karṇa draṣṭuṃ bhavantaṃ tvarayābhiyātaḥ | sarve pāñcālā hy udvijante samaṃ karṇa dṛṣṭvā gāvaḥ kesariṇaṃ yathaiva ||
Having slain those warriors, I left Karṇa aside and hurried here to see you. All the Pāñcāla troops are thrown into agitation on seeing Karṇa—just as cattle panic at the sight of a lion. The line underscores the psychological force of a famed fighter in war: fear spreads through an army not only by weapons but by reputation, and Arjuna’s words frame Karṇa as a terror to the ranks even while Arjuna himself presses on toward his immediate duty of meeting the one he addresses.
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how reputation and perceived power shape ethical and practical realities in war: a renowned warrior can unsettle entire formations, showing that courage and fear are communal forces. It also reflects the kṣatriya world-view where duty is pursued with urgency, even amid overwhelming violence.
Arjuna says he has already killed a large group of enemy chariot-warriors, then deliberately left Karṇa for the moment and rushed to meet the person he addresses. He notes that the Pāñcāla troops are shaken at the mere sight of Karṇa, likening their fear to cattle seeing a lion.