Shloka 55
रणे चरत्येष रथप्रवीर: सितै्हयै: कौरवराजपुत्र: । स वाद्य मां नेष्यति कृच्छुमेतत् कर्णस्यान्तादेतदन्तास्तु सर्वे
raṇe caratyeṣa rathapravīraḥ śitair hayaiḥ kauravarājaputraḥ | sa vadhyā māṃ neṣyati kṛcchram etat karṇasyāntād etad antāstu sarve ||
Karna berkata: “Lihatlah di medan perang itu bergerak wira utama kereta perang—putera Kuru, Arjuna—mengendalikan kuda-kuda putihnya yang tajam dan pantas. Hari ini dia pasti akan menekan aku hingga ke hujung getir maut; dan apabila aku, Karna, menemui pengakhiran, kebinasaan semua pejuang Kaurava yang masih tinggal juga akan menjadi pasti.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tragic clarity that can arise in war: a warrior recognizes the moral and strategic consequences of a single fall. Karna foresees that his death will not be an isolated event but a turning point leading to the collapse of his side—underscoring impermanence, the chain of causality in conflict, and the heavy responsibility borne by principal champions.
Karna, facing Arjuna in the Karna Parva battle sequence, observes Arjuna ranging the field with his famed steeds and anticipates being driven into a mortal crisis. He predicts that once he is slain, the remaining Kaurava warriors will inevitably be destroyed as well, indicating a decisive shift in the war’s outcome.