Karṇa-vadha-pratyaya: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Verification of Karṇa’s Fall (कर्णवध-प्रत्ययः)
सानुगा दीप्तवपुषश्चन्द्रं तारागणा इव । दिव्य कवच और आयुध धारण किये, सिंहके समान पराक्रमी सेवकोंसहित समस्त द्रौपदीपुत्र युद्धके लिये उत्सुक हो धृष्टद्युम्नकी रक्षा करने लगे, मानो तेजस्वी शरीरवाले नक्षत्र चन्द्रमाका संरक्षण कर रहे हों ।। अथ व्यूक्ेष्वनीकेषु प्रेक्ष्य संशप्तकान् रणे
sānugā dīptavapuṣaś candraṁ tāragaṇā iva | divya-kavaca-āyudha-dhāriṇaḥ siṁha-samāna-parākramāḥ sevakaiḥ saha sarve draupadī-putrā yuddhāya utsukā dhṛṣṭadyumnasya rakṣāṁ cakruḥ, māno tejasvino nakṣatrāṇi candramāsaṁ saṁrakṣanti || atha vyūḍheṣv anīkeṣu prekṣya saṁsaptakāṇ rane ||
Disse Sañjaya: Acompanhados de seus atendentes, brilhavam em sua forma como as estrelas ao redor da lua. Os filhos de Draupadī, trajando armaduras divinas e empunhando armas, valentes como leões, puseram-se a guardar Dhṛṣṭadyumna—como astros luminosos protegendo a lua. Então, quando as formações do exército já estavam dispostas, ao ver os Samsaptakas no combate…
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights collective responsibility and loyal guardianship in a crisis: those bound by duty rally to protect a key leader, suggesting that courage is not merely individual prowess but coordinated protection of the vulnerable or strategically vital.
The sons of Draupadi, fully armed and accompanied by their retainers, form a protective guard around Dhrishtadyumna, compared to stars surrounding the moon; the scene then shifts toward the armies’ formations and the sighting of the Samsaptakas on the battlefield.