Shloka 126
Chapter 136: Pandava Counter-Encirclement and the Vāyavya-Astra Disruption
ध्वजमाधिरथेश्छित्त्वा सूतम भ्यहनच्छरै: । भरतश्रेष्ठ! तत्पश्चात् महाबाहु भीमसेनने दो छुरोंसे कर्णकी ध्वजा काटकर अपने बाणोंद्वारा उसके सारथिको भी मार डाला
dhvajam ādhiratheś chittvā sūtam abhyahanac charaiḥ | bharataśreṣṭha! tatpaścāt mahābāhuḥ bhīmasenaḥ ||
सञ्जय उवाच—आधिरथस्य कर्णस्य ध्वजं छित्त्वा भीमसेनः शरवृष्ट्या तस्य सूतं जघान। भरतश्रेष्ठ, एवं युद्धे पराक्रमचिह्नानां सहायानां च विनाशः क्रूरनीतौ रणकौशलस्य सोपानं भवति।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim pragmatism of battlefield conduct: victory often depends on disabling an opponent’s support systems and symbols of command. It also reflects the tension within kṣatriya-dharma—courage and effectiveness in war can demand harsh actions whose moral weight is carried by the larger context of a dharma-conflict.
During the fighting, Bhīma severs Karna’s banner (dhvaja), then immediately attacks and kills Karna’s charioteer with arrows. Sañjaya reports this to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, emphasizing the rapid sequence and intensity of the encounter.