Shloka 47
धर्मरहस्योपदेशः
Dharma-rahasya Instruction: Vows, Truth, and Non-injury
बलवान् भीमसेनके हाथसे छूटकर वज्र और विद्युतके समान शब्द करनेवाले उस बाणने रणभूमिमें कर्णको चीर डाला, मानो वज्रके वेगने पर्वतको विदीर्ण कर दिया हो ।।
balavān bhīmasenake hāthase chūṭakara vajra-vidyut-samāna-śabdaṃ karanevāle us bāṇane raṇabhūmim̐ karṇako cīr ḍālā, māno vajravegene parvatako vidīrṇa kar diyā ho || sa bhīmasenābhihataḥ sūtaputraḥ kurūdvaha | niṣasāda rathopasthe visaṃjñaḥ pṛtanāpatiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Escaping from mighty Bhīmasena’s grasp, that arrow—crackling like a thunderbolt and lightning—tore through Karṇa on the battlefield, as though a mountain were being split by the rush of a vajra. Struck by Bhīmasena, the charioteer’s son Karṇa, O best of the Kurus, sank down upon the chariot-seat, the commander of the host falling unconscious. The scene underscores the brutal impartiality of war: prowess and status alike are brought low when fate and force converge, and even celebrated heroes become vulnerable in a moment.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the stark ethic of the battlefield: in war, even the greatest commanders are subject to sudden reversal. Strength, reputation, and rank do not guarantee safety; the narrative stresses impermanence and the relentless consequences of martial action within kṣatriya-dharma.
Sañjaya describes an arrow that slips from Bhīma’s hand and strikes Karṇa with thunderbolt-like force. Karṇa—called the sūtaputra and the army commander—collapses onto the chariot-seat, losing consciousness.