Shloka 231
कर्णसेनापत्यारम्भः — Karṇa’s Appointment and the Report to Dhṛtarāṣṭra
Chapter 1
दुर्मरं तदहं मन्ये नृणां कृच्छे5पि वर्तताम् यत्र कर्ण हत॑ श्रुत्वा नात्यजज्जीवितं नृप:
durmaraṁ tad ahaṁ manye nṛṇāṁ kṛcche ’pi vartatām | yatra karṇa-hataṁ śrutvā nātyajajjīvitaṁ nṛpaḥ ||
Wika ni Janamejaya: “Sa aking palagay, halos imposibleng magawa ng tao—kahit pa gipitin ng sukdulang paghihirap—na tiisin ang kalagayang, pagkarinig na napatay na si Karṇa, ang isang hari ay hindi agad isinusuko ang buhay. Ang gayong pagpipigil sa harap ng nakapupuksaing pagkalugi ay tila lampas sa karaniwang lakas ng tao.”
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the extraordinary weight of grief and shock in dharmic-royal life: some losses are so severe that ordinary human endurance fails. It implicitly praises exceptional self-control (or points to an unusual destiny) when a ruler can continue living despite hearing of a catastrophic death.
Janamejaya reacts to the report of Karṇa’s death and expresses amazement that a certain king, upon hearing that Karṇa was slain, did not immediately die (or renounce life). The line functions as a narrative prompt, emphasizing the magnitude of Karṇa’s fall and the emotional stakes for those connected to him.