अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः
जयत:पाण्डवान् दृष्टवा किंस्विद् दुर्योधनो<ब्रवीत् । द्वैरथयुद्धमें सव्यसाची अर्जुनके हाथसे कर्णको मारा गया सुनकर और पाण्डवोंकी विजय होती देखकर दुर्योधनने क्या कहा था?
jayataḥ pāṇḍavān dṛṣṭvā kiṃsvid duryodhano 'bravīt |
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Melihat pihak Pāṇḍava semakin menang, apakah yang dikatakan Duryodhana? (Soalan ini timbul apabila didengar bahawa Karṇa telah dibunuh oleh Arjuna, pemanah Savyasācī, dalam pertarungan kereta perang, dan apabila kemenangan Pāṇḍava terlihat nyata.)
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse frames a moral-narrative pivot: when adharma-driven ambition meets the consequences of war, even a powerful king must confront reversal. It highlights how victory and defeat in battle expose the inner state—attachment, pride, and despair—inviting reflection on dharma, responsibility, and the cost of unrighteous conflict.
The narrator Vaiśampāyana introduces the next speech by posing a transition question: after hearing that Karṇa has been slain by Arjuna in a chariot duel and seeing the Pāṇḍavas gaining the upper hand, what words did Duryodhana speak next?