Shloka 60
अर्जुनस्य शीघ्रप्रयाणं भीम-शकुनियुद्धं च
Arjuna’s Rapid Advance and the Bhīma–Śakuni Encounter
कण्णाग्निना रणे तद्वद् दग्धा भारत सृञ्जया: । भरतनन्दन! जैसे जलती आगमें पड़ जानेपर सभी मनुष्य दग्ध हो जाते हैं, उसी प्रकार सूंजय-सैनिक रणभूमिमें कर्णरूपी अग्निसे जलकर भस्म हो गये ।।
karṇāgninā raṇe tadvad dagdhā bhārata sṛñjayāḥ | bharatanandana! yathā jvalitāgnau patitāḥ sarve manuṣyā dagdhā bhavanti, tathā sṛñjaya-sainikā raṇabhūmau karṇa-rūpeṇāgninā dagdhā bhasmībhūtāḥ || karṇena ca cedikaikeyapāñcāleṣu ca bhārata
Wika ni Sañjaya: O Bhārata, O ligaya ng angkan ng Bharata—kung paanong ang lahat ng tao’y napapaso kapag nahulog sa naglalagablab na apoy, gayon din sa larangan ng digmaan ang mga mandirigmang Sṛñjaya ay tinupok ni Karṇa, na wari’y apoy mismo, at naging abo. At si Karṇa rin ay bumagsak sa mga Cedi, Kaikeya, at Pāñcāla, O Bhārata.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the catastrophic power unleashed in war: when a warrior’s prowess becomes ‘fire-like,’ entire communities are consumed. Ethically, it highlights how martial excellence, when directed toward mass slaughter, turns the battlefield into a space of irreversible loss—inviting reflection on the cost of kṣatriya violence and the fragility of human life.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Karṇa is devastating the Pāṇḍava-aligned forces. Using a fire simile, he says the Sṛñjaya soldiers are burned to ashes by Karṇa’s onslaught, and adds that Karṇa is also striking down the Cedis, Kaikeyas, and Pāñcālas.