Shloka 21
Adhyāya 8: Saṃprahāra-varṇana and Bhīma–Kṣemadhūrti Dvipa-Yuddha
Combat Description and Elephant Duel
शखव्रातै: सुनिशितै: सुतीक्ष्पै: कड़कपत्रिभि: । (करमाहारयामास जित्वा सर्वानरीस्तथा ।) दुर्योधनस्य वृद्धयर्थ राधेयो रथिनां वर:
Vaiśampāyana uvāca — śakhavrātaiḥ suniśitaiḥ sutīkṣṇaiḥ kaṅkapatribhiḥ | karam āhārayāmāsa jitvā sarvān arīs tathā | duryodhanasya vṛddhyarthaṃ rādheyo rathināṃ varaḥ, ghātitaḥ pāṇḍavaiḥ śūraiḥ samare vīryaśālibhiḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Dengan gugusan anak panah—diasah setajam pisau cukur, amat runcing, dan berbulu bulu bangau—Rādheya, yang terunggul antara para pahlawan kereta, telah menundukkan semua musuh dan memungut ufti, semuanya demi menambah kebesaran kuasa Duryodhana. Maka bagaimana mungkin Karṇa Vaikartana yang perkasa dan bercahaya—penguasa senjata ilahi, mahir akan senjata unggul, pelindung bala tentera kita—dibunuh di medan perang oleh para Pāṇḍava yang gagah dan kuat?
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between worldly merit—prowess, loyalty, and service to a king—and the harsh verdict of war: even the most capable protector can fall. It invites reflection on how power gained through conquest and tribute is unstable, and how claims of righteousness and heroism do not guarantee victory when larger forces of destiny and dharma unfold.
Vaiśampāyana describes Karṇa’s earlier achievements for Duryodhana—defeating enemies and collecting tribute with deadly, feather-fletched arrows—and then poses the pressing question: how could such a formidable warrior, celebrated as the army’s protector and master of divine weapons, be killed by the Pāṇḍavas in battle?