Shloka 54
सदेवगन्धर्वमनुष्यपूजितं निहत्य कर्ण रिपुमाहवेडर्जुन: । रराज राजन् परमेण वर्चसा यथा पुरा वृत्रवधे शतक्रतु:
sadeva-gandharva-manuṣya-pūjitaṃ nihatya karṇaṃ ripum āhave ’rjunaḥ | rarāja rājan parameṇa varcasā yathā purā vṛtra-vadhe śatakratuḥ ||
Wika ni Śalya: “O Hari, matapos mapatay ni Arjuna sa labanan ang kaaway niyang si Karṇa—si Karṇa na iginagalang ng mga diyos, ng mga Gandharva, at ng mga tao—si Arjuna’y nagningning sa sukdulang liwanag, gaya noong unang panahon nang magningas si Śatakratu (Indra) matapos patayin si Vṛtra.”
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames martial victory within a moral-epic lens: even a widely revered warrior (Karṇa) can fall when opposed by a divinely empowered and duty-bound hero (Arjuna). The comparison to Indra after Vṛtra’s slaying highlights how victory in a righteous, fated conflict is portrayed as producing ‘varcas’—a radiance of legitimacy, prowess, and public recognition.
Śalya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna has killed Karṇa in battle. After this decisive act, Arjuna appears resplendent, and Śalya likens his brilliance to Indra’s splendor after defeating the demon Vṛtra in ancient myth.