Shloka 21
कर्णवधप्रसङ्गः / The Context of Karṇa’s Fall
Krishna’s Dharmic Recollection and the Decisive Astra
षट्साहस्रा भारत राजपूुत्रा: स्वर्गाय लोकाय रणे निमग्ना: । कर्ण न चेदद्य निहन्मि राजन् सबान्धवं युध्यमानं प्रसहु
ṣaṭsāhasrā bhārata rājaputrāḥ svargāya lokāya raṇe nimagnāḥ | karṇa na ced adya nihanymi rājan sabāndhavaṁ yudhyamānaṁ prasahya
Arjuna disse: “Ó príncipe de Bhārata, seis mil filhos de reis mergulharam nesta batalha em busca do céu e do outro mundo. Portanto, ó rei, se hoje eu não abater Karṇa — lutando com ferocidade, ainda que junto de seus parentes —, então este morticínio terá sido em vão e meu dever na guerra ficará por cumprir.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames Arjuna’s resolve within kṣatriya-dharma: when many warriors have entered battle seeking the warrior’s afterlife (svarga), the commander must not waver. Arjuna treats the slaying of Karṇa as a necessary act to fulfill duty and give meaning to the sacrifices already made.
In the Karṇa Parva, Arjuna confronts the urgency of ending the war’s decisive threat—Karṇa. He declares that, given the immense loss of royal warriors already immersed in battle, he must defeat Karṇa that very day, even if Karṇa is supported by his kinsmen and allies.