धृतराष्ट्रविलापः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament and Inquiry (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 2)
स राजकानां सर्वेषां पश्यतां व: किरीटिना । इसी तरह प्रतापी सूतपुत्र कर्ण भी राजाओंसहित तुम सब लोगोंके देखते-देखते किरीटधारी अर्जुनके हाथसे मारा गया
sa rājñāṁ sarveṣāṁ paśyatāṁ vaḥ kirīṭinā | tathā pratāpī sūtaputraḥ karṇo 'pi rājabhiḥ saha yuṣmākaṁ sarveṣāṁ paśyatāṁ-paśyatāṁ kirīṭadhāriṇā arjunena hataḥ |
Vaiśampāyana disse: “À vista de todos os reis —e diante dos olhos de todos vós— o poderoso Karṇa, o valente filho de um cocheiro, foi igualmente morto por Arjuna, o portador do diadema. A narração ressalta o caráter público e testemunhado do feito: na guerra, até os maiores caem diante do destino e das consequências das alianças e atos que escolheram.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse highlights the inevitability of consequence in dharmic warfare: even renowned heroes fall, and their end becomes a public moral record. It also stresses the importance of witnessed truth (what is seen by many) in preserving the ethical memory of events.
Vaiśampāyana reports that Karṇa, famed for valor and known as the sūta’s son, is slain by Arjuna, the diadem-bearing warrior, in the sight of assembled kings and the wider audience—emphasizing the decisive and publicly observed turning point in the battle.