Shloka 28
अध्याय २९: कर्णस्य शल्यं प्रति शापस्मरणं च युद्धनिश्चयः | Chapter 29: Karṇa recalls curses to Śalya and declares resolve for battle
चेकितानश्न बलवान् धर्मराजश्न सुब्रत: । एते रथाश्रद्धिरदै: पत्तिभिक्षोग्रविक्रमै:
sañjaya uvāca |
cekitānaś ca balavān dharmarājaś ca suvrataḥ |
ete rathāś ca aśvadhiradāḥ pattibhiś cogra-vikramaiḥ ||
Sañjaya nói: “Cekitāna hùng mạnh và Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira, bền chí giữ lời thệ—cùng những chiến xa, kỵ binh và bộ binh có dũng lực dữ dội ấy—đã dồn ép Karṇa.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the Mahābhārata’s recurring ethic that dharma and disciplined resolve (suvrata) must operate within the harsh realities of kṣatriya warfare: even great warriors face coordinated opposition, and outcomes hinge on collective effort and steadfastness rather than reputation alone.
Sañjaya reports that leading Pāṇḍava-aligned fighters—especially Cekitāna and Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira—together with chariot troops, cavalry, and fierce infantry, converge in battle, intensifying pressure on Karṇa (as elaborated in the immediately surrounding verses).