Shloka 16
कर्णेन व्यूहविधानम् — Karṇa’s Battle Formation and the Pāṇḍava Counter-Plan
Adhyāya 31
हतवीरमिदं सैन्यं पाण्डवै: समरे विभो । कर्णो होको महाबाहुरस्मत्प्रियहिते रत:
hatavīram idaṁ sainyaṁ pāṇḍavaiḥ samare vibho | karṇo hy eko mahābāhur asmatpriyahite rataḥ ||
Sañjaya disse: “Ó senhor poderoso, em batalha os Pāṇḍavas privaram este exército de seus principais heróis. Só resta Karṇa, o guerreiro de grandes braços—firme e devotado ao que nos é caro e benéfico.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension of war: when many leaders fall, a kingdom clings to a single champion. It underscores loyalty and duty to one’s side, while implicitly revealing the fragility of power that depends on individual prowess rather than righteous policy.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Pāṇḍavas have slain the Kauravas’ principal warriors, leaving Karṇa as the lone great fighter still actively committed to advancing what the Kauravas consider their interest.