Shloka 46
युधिष्ठिरस्य धनंजय-प्रति गर्हा
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Reproach to Dhanaṃjaya
ततो बाद्दोर्ललाटे च हृदि चैव युधिष्ठिर: । चतुर्भिस्तोमरै: कर्ण ताडयित्वानदन्मुदा,तत्पश्चात् युधिष्ठिरने कर्णकी दोनों भुजाओं, ललाट और छातीमें चार तोमरोंका प्रहार करके सानन्द सिंहनाद किया
tato bāhvor lalāṭe ca hṛdi caiva yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | caturbhis tomaraiḥ karṇa tāḍayitvā anadan mudā ||
Sañjaya said: Then Yudhiṣṭhira struck Karṇa with four javelins—on both arms, on the forehead, and on the chest—and, exulting in that moment of advantage, let out a triumphant lion-roar. The scene underscores how, in the heat of war, even the dharma-minded king is swept into the warrior’s code of asserting dominance after a successful blow.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between Yudhiṣṭhira’s reputation for dharma and the battlefield imperative of kṣatriya conduct: success is asserted publicly (the lion-roar), yet it also invites reflection on how victory-joy can arise even in righteous war.
Sañjaya reports that Yudhiṣṭhira lands four tomara strikes on Karṇa—both arms, forehead, and chest—and then roars in exhilaration, marking a momentary upper hand in their combat.