Shloka 45
Adhyāya 36: Ghora-yuddha-varṇanam
A Clinical Description of the Intensified Engagement
ततः प्रायात् प्रीतिमान् वै रथेन वैयाप्रेण श्वेतयुजाथ कर्ण: । स चालोक्य ध्वजिनीं पाण्डवानां धनंजयं त्वरया पर्यपृच्छत्
tataḥ prāyāt prītimān vai rathena vaiyāpreṇa śvetayujātha karṇaḥ | sa cālokya dhvajinīṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ dhanañjayaṃ tvarayā paryapṛcchat ||
Sañjaya nói: Rồi Karṇa, tràn đầy tự tin và hân hoan, lên đường trên chiến xa của mình—nhanh nhẹn, ngựa trắng kéo. Thấy trận thế quân Pāṇḍava bày ra trước mặt, ông vội vã hỏi tung tích Dhanañjaya (Arjuna).
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of meeting one’s principal opponent directly, seeking honor through open confrontation. At the same time, it sits within the Mahābhārata’s ethical tension: personal valor and rivalry unfold inside a devastating civil war, where ‘duty’ and ‘desire for victory’ can blur.
Sañjaya narrates that Karṇa departs joyfully in a swift chariot drawn by white horses. On seeing the Pāṇḍava forces arrayed before him, he urgently asks where Arjuna (Dhanañjaya) is—signaling his intent to engage him in battle.