Shloka 85
अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः
दृष्टवा विनिहतं कर्ण सारथ्ये रथिनां वर: । किमभाषत वीरौ5सौ मद्राणामधिपो बली
dṛṣṭvā vinihataṁ karṇaṁ sārathye rathināṁ varaḥ | kim abhāṣata vīro 'sau madrāṇām adhipo balī ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Melihat Karṇa telah gugur, wira perkasa itu—penguasa Madra, masyhur sebagai sais terbaik dalam kalangan kesatria berkereta—pun bersuara. Apakah yang dikatakannya pada saat itu?
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the instability of worldly power in war: even a foremost warrior like Karṇa can be struck down, and the ethical weight shifts to how survivors respond—through speech that may judge, lament, justify, or reaffirm dharma.
After Karṇa’s death, the narrator signals a new focus: Śalya, the king of Madra serving as Karṇa’s charioteer, sees him slain and speaks. The verse functions as a lead-in to Śalya’s immediate reaction and its consequences in the battle narrative.