Shloka 90
Adhyāya 141 — Night duels: Śaineya and Bhūriśravas; Droṇi and Ghaṭotkaca; Bhīma and Duryodhana
शक्तो5पि नावधीत् कर्ण समर्थ: पाडुनन्दन: । रक्षमाण: प्रतिज्ञां तां या कृता सव्यसाचिना,अब भीमसेनने अपने अंगूठेको मुट्टीके भीतर करके वज्रतुल्य अत्यन्त भयंकर घूँसा तानकर सूतपुत्र कर्णको मार डालनेकी इच्छा की। तबतक क्षणभरमें उन्हें अर्जुनकी याद आ गयी। अतः सव्यसाची अर्जुनने पहले जो प्रतिज्ञा की थी, उसकी रक्षा करते हुए पाण्डुनन्दन भीमने समर्थ एवं शक्तिशाली होनेपर भी उस समय कर्णका वध नहीं किया
śakto 'pi nāvadhīt karṇaḥ samarthaḥ pāṇḍunandanaḥ | rakṣamāṇaḥ pratijñāṃ tāṃ yā kṛtā savyasācinā ||
सञ्जय उवाच—शक्तोऽपि समर्थः पाण्डुनन्दनः कर्णं नावधीत्, सव्यसाचिना या प्रतिज्ञा पूर्वं कृता तां रक्षमाणः।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma as fidelity to a pledged word: even in a life-and-death battle, one should not violate a solemn vow—especially a vow made by a rightful claimant (here Arjuna). Strength is shown not only in striking but also in restraining oneself for the sake of ethical order and trust.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīma, though strong enough to kill Karṇa at that moment, refrains from doing so. He holds back specifically to preserve Arjuna’s prior pledge regarding Karṇa, allowing the narrative to maintain the promised confrontation and its moral framing.