Shloka 4
अर्जुनस्य द्रोणिप्रतिघातः कर्णोपसर्पणं च
Arjuna Checks Droṇaputra; Karṇa Advances
त॑ तूर्णमभिधावन्तं पज्चाला जितकाशिन: । प्रत्युद्ययुर्महात्मानं हंसा इव महार्णवम्
taṁ tūṛṇam abhidhāvantaṁ pāñcālā jitakāśinaḥ | pratyudyayur mahātmānaṁ haṁsā iva mahārṇavam ||
Sañjaya nói: Khi Karṇa, bậc đại hồn, lao tới với đòn xung kích chớp nhoáng, các dũng sĩ Pāñcāla—hân hoan vì những chiến thắng—cũng tiến ra nghênh chiến, như đàn thiên nga rẽ sóng hướng về đại dương mênh mông.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of meeting force with readiness and courage: opponents do not shrink back but advance to face the oncoming threat. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s war-world where valor and resolve are praised even amid tragic conflict.
Karṇa charges forward rapidly, and the Pāñcāla warriors—buoyed by prior successes—move out to confront him. The poet compares their forward movement to swans gliding toward the vast ocean, emphasizing coordinated, confident advance.