Mahabharata — Karna Parva, Shloka 4
Adhyāya 8: Saṃprahāra-varṇana and Bhīma–Kṣemadhūrti Dvipa-Yuddha
Combat Description and Elephant Duel
चित्तमोहमिवायुक्त भार्गवस्य महामते: । पराजयमिवेन्द्रस्य द्विषद्धयो भीमकर्मण:
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
chittamoham ivāyuktaṃ bhārgavasya mahāmateḥ |
parājayam ivendrasya dviṣaddhayo bhīmakarmaṇaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai raja, khabar itu hampir mustahil diterima—seperti membayangkan kekeliruan timbul dalam benak Bhārgava (Paraśurāma) yang berhikmah besar, atau seperti membayangkan Indra, pelaku perbuatan dahsyat, ditewaskan oleh musuh-musuhnya. Demikianlah peristiwa ini dibingkai sebagai kejutan moral dan kosmik: yang tidak sepatutnya berlaku telah berlaku, dan pembalikan itu sendiri menandakan runtuhnya keyakinan serta hampirnya kebinasaan pihak Kaurava.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches how epic narration marks a turning point: when an event is compared to impossibilities (Paraśurāma becoming deluded, Indra being defeated), it signals a moral-cosmic inversion—confidence collapses, and the listener is meant to recognize the weight of destiny and the consequences of prior actions (karma) unfolding in war.
Vaiśampāyana describes the shock produced by the reported event (in context, the catastrophic reversal for the Kauravas). He uses two similes—delusion in Paraśurāma and defeat of Indra—to convey that the news feels unbelievable and ominous, foreshadowing despair and the sense that the Kaurava side is nearing destruction.