Shloka 21
कृष्णोपदेशः, अर्जुनस्य क्षमा-याचनम्, कर्णवध-अनुज्ञा
Krishna’s Counsel, Arjuna’s Apology, and Authorization for Karṇa’s Slaying
हंसवर्णान् हयान् भूय: प्रैषयद् यत्र पाण्डव: । आपके पुत्रोंको मारा गया देख सूतपुत्र कर्णके मनमें बड़ा दुःख हुआ। उसने हंसके समान अपने श्वेत घोड़ोंको पुनः वहीं हँकवाया
sañjaya uvāca | haṃsavarṇān hayān bhūyaḥ praiṣayad yatra pāṇḍavaḥ | āpake putroṅ ko mārā gayā dekh sūtaputra karṇake man meṃ baṛā duḥkha huā | usne haṃsake samān apne śveta ghoṛoṅ ko punaḥ vahīṃ hāṅkavāyā, jahāṃ pāṇḍuputra bhīmasena maujūd the || 206 || te preṣitā mahārāja madrarājena vājinaḥ ||
Disse Sañjaya: Ao ver teus filhos abatidos, Karṇa—o filho do cocheiro—foi tomado por profunda dor. E novamente impeliu seus cavalos, brancos como cisnes, até o lugar onde se encontrava o Pāṇḍava Bhīmasena. Esses corcéis, ó Rei, haviam sido instigados pelo rei de Madra.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how grief in battle can quickly transform into renewed violence: instead of pausing for reflection, the warrior channels sorrow into retaliation. It also points to the ethical tension of kṣatriya-dharma—pressing on in war despite personal anguish—while showing how external drivers (the charioteer/ally) can intensify conflict.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Karṇa, distressed after seeing Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons killed, orders his swan-white horses to be driven again toward Bhīma’s position. The horses are being urged on by the king of Madra, Śalya, who serves as Karṇa’s charioteer.