Shloka 72
अस्त्रयुद्धे द्रौणिपार्थसंघर्षः — Karṇa’s Bhārgavāstra and the Search for Yudhiṣṭhira
Chapter 45
“कर्ण! लाल नेत्रोंवाले उन शत्रुसंतापी पुरुषसिंह श्रीकृष्ण और अर्जुनको आज तुम एक रथपर बैठे हुए देखोगे ।।
sañjaya uvāca |
karṇa! lāla-netrau vāle śatru-santāpī puruṣa-siṃhau śrīkṛṣṇa-arjunau adya tvaṃ eka-rathe upaviṣṭau drakṣyasi ||
sārathir yasya vārṣṇeyo gāṇḍīvaṃ yasya kārmukam |
taṃ ced dhantāsi rādheya tvaṃ no rājā bhaviṣyasi ||
Sañjaya disse: “Karna! Hoje verás Śrī Kṛṣṇa e Arjuna—homens como leões, que abrasam os inimigos—sentados juntos num só carro. Aquele cujo cocheiro é o Vārṣṇeya (Kṛṣṇa) e cujo arco é o Gāṇḍīva—se puderes matar esse Arjuna, ó filho de Rādhā, então serás o nosso rei.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how political reward and ambition are used to spur a warrior toward a decisive, ethically weighty act—killing a foremost opponent. It also underscores the perceived invincibility created by the union of Arjuna’s martial prowess with Kṛṣṇa’s guidance, implying that victory is not merely physical strength but also strategic and moral support.
Sañjaya addresses Karna, describing the formidable sight of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna together on one chariot. He then frames a conditional promise: if Karna can kill Arjuna—whose charioteer is Kṛṣṇa and whose bow is Gāṇḍīva—Karna will become their king, intensifying the stakes of the coming confrontation.