Shloka 36
येन त्वं पीडितो बाणैर्दूढमायम्य कार्मुकम् । तस्याद्य कर्मण: कर्ण: फलमाप्स्यति दारुणम्
yena tvaṁ pīḍito bāṇair dṛḍham āyamya kārmukam | tasyādya karmaṇaḥ karṇaḥ phalam āpsyati dāruṇam, rājan ||
“Muôn tâu Đại vương! Kẻ đã kéo căng cung đến tận độ, dùng tên mà làm Đại vương khổ sở—chính Karna—hôm nay sẽ gặt lấy quả báo ghê gớm của hành vi ấy.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights karma-phala: harmful actions—especially those done with aggressive intent in war—carry consequences that return to the agent. Arjuna frames Karna’s impending downfall as the ethical result of prior injury inflicted.
Arjuna addresses a king (likely Yudhiṣṭhira) and refers to Karna as the one who had earlier wounded him with powerful archery. Arjuna declares that Karna will, on this very day, receive the dreadful outcome of that past act—foreshadowing Karna’s defeat.