Shloka 16
कृष्णोपदेशः, अर्जुनस्य क्षमा-याचनम्, कर्णवध-अनुज्ञा
Krishna’s Counsel, Arjuna’s Apology, and Authorization for Karṇa’s Slaying
ततस्तु त्वरितो भीम: क्राथथं निन््ये यमक्षयम्
tatastu tvarito bhīmaḥ krāthathaṃ ninye yamakṣayam
Disse Sañjaya: Então Bhīma, movendo-se com pronta resolução, lançou Krāthatha ao reino de Yama—enviando-o à morte no meio da batalha, um lembrete severo de quão depressa o destino se volta no campo de guerra.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the battlefield reality that decisive action and martial duty (kṣatriya-dharma) can culminate in death without delay; it also evokes the ethical gravity of war, where victory is inseparable from mortality and accountability before Yama.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīma, acting swiftly, overpowers Krāthatha and sends him to “Yama’s abode,” a conventional epic expression meaning he kills him in combat.