अजिशीर्षे प्रातःसंध्यायां संग्रामवर्णनम् / Dawn-Transition Battle at Ajiśīrṣa
Chapter 161
राधेयं निर्जितं दृष्टवा तावका भरतर्षभ
rādheyaṁ nirjitaṁ dṛṣṭvā tāvakā bharatarṣabha
సంజయుడు పలికెను—ఓ భరతశ్రేష్ఠా! రాధేయుడు (కర్ణుడు) ఓడిపోయినట్లు చూచి నీ సైనికులు కలత చెందిరి।
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights how the fall of a principal champion affects collective resolve: in dharma-yuddha narratives, victory and defeat are not merely tactical events but moral-psychological shocks that test steadiness, duty, and discernment amid calamity.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Rādheya (Karṇa) has been seen defeated, and that this sight impacts the Kaurava side (“your men”), signaling a critical shift in the battle’s momentum.