Shloka 223
कृष्णोपदेशः, अर्जुनस्य क्षमा-याचनम्, कर्णवध-अनुज्ञा
Krishna’s Counsel, Arjuna’s Apology, and Authorization for Karṇa’s Slaying
आसीदू रौद्रो महाराज कर्णपाण्डवयोर्मधे । प्रजानाथ! महाराज! युद्धस्थलमें कर्ण और भीमसेनका वह संघर्ष घोर, रौद्र और अत्यन्त भयंकर था
āsīd raundro mahārāja karṇa-pāṇḍavayor madhye | prajānātha! mahārāja! yuddhasthale karṇa-bhīmasenayor ayaṃ saṅgharṣo ghoraḥ raudraś cātyanta-bhayaṅkara āsīt ||
三阇耶说道：大王啊，万民之主啊——在战场上，迦尔那与毗摩塞那的交锋凶猛而暴烈，怒焰翻腾，极其可怖骇人。这昭示着战争的势头已转为对耐力与意志的残酷考验：私怨与武士之责交汇，化作令人战栗的景象。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the destructive intensity of war: when duty and rivalry collide, the battlefield becomes a space where anger (raudra) dominates, reminding readers that even ‘righteous’ warfare can devolve into terrifying violence that tests moral restraint.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the encounter between Karṇa and Bhīma on the battlefield has become extremely fierce and dreadful, highlighting a climactic, close-quarters struggle between two foremost warriors.