Shloka 21
Adhyāya 8: Saṃprahāra-varṇana and Bhīma–Kṣemadhūrti Dvipa-Yuddha
Combat Description and Elephant Duel
शखव्रातै: सुनिशितै: सुतीक्ष्पै: कड़कपत्रिभि: । (करमाहारयामास जित्वा सर्वानरीस्तथा ।) दुर्योधनस्य वृद्धयर्थ राधेयो रथिनां वर:
Vaiśampāyana uvāca — śakhavrātaiḥ suniśitaiḥ sutīkṣṇaiḥ kaṅkapatribhiḥ | karam āhārayāmāsa jitvā sarvān arīs tathā | duryodhanasya vṛddhyarthaṃ rādheyo rathināṃ varaḥ, ghātitaḥ pāṇḍavaiḥ śūraiḥ samare vīryaśālibhiḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: Com cachos de flechas—bem amoladas, cortantes como navalhas e emplumadas com penas de garça—Rādheya, o primeiro entre os guerreiros de carro, conquistara todos os inimigos e lhes exigira tributo, tudo para o aumento do poder de Duryodhana. Como, então, foi morto em batalha pelos heroicos e poderosos Pāṇḍavas aquele Karṇa Vikarṭana, de grande fulgor e retidão, conhecedor das armas divinas, mestre de excelentes armas e protetor de nossas hostes?
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between worldly merit—prowess, loyalty, and service to a king—and the harsh verdict of war: even the most capable protector can fall. It invites reflection on how power gained through conquest and tribute is unstable, and how claims of righteousness and heroism do not guarantee victory when larger forces of destiny and dharma unfold.
Vaiśampāyana describes Karṇa’s earlier achievements for Duryodhana—defeating enemies and collecting tribute with deadly, feather-fletched arrows—and then poses the pressing question: how could such a formidable warrior, celebrated as the army’s protector and master of divine weapons, be killed by the Pāṇḍavas in battle?