Shloka 60
अर्जुनस्य शीघ्रप्रयाणं भीम-शकुनियुद्धं च
Arjuna’s Rapid Advance and the Bhīma–Śakuni Encounter
कण्णाग्निना रणे तद्वद् दग्धा भारत सृञ्जया: । भरतनन्दन! जैसे जलती आगमें पड़ जानेपर सभी मनुष्य दग्ध हो जाते हैं, उसी प्रकार सूंजय-सैनिक रणभूमिमें कर्णरूपी अग्निसे जलकर भस्म हो गये ।।
karṇāgninā raṇe tadvad dagdhā bhārata sṛñjayāḥ | bharatanandana! yathā jvalitāgnau patitāḥ sarve manuṣyā dagdhā bhavanti, tathā sṛñjaya-sainikā raṇabhūmau karṇa-rūpeṇāgninā dagdhā bhasmībhūtāḥ || karṇena ca cedikaikeyapāñcāleṣu ca bhārata
桑阇耶说道：“噢，婆罗多啊，婆罗多族的荣光——正如众人一旦坠入熊熊烈火便尽被焚烧，同样，战场上的斯林阇耶诸军也被迦尔那——宛如烈焰本身——灼烧殆尽，化为灰烬。噢，婆罗多啊，迦尔那也同样击倒了支提人、凯迦耶人以及般遮罗人。”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the catastrophic power unleashed in war: when a warrior’s prowess becomes ‘fire-like,’ entire communities are consumed. Ethically, it highlights how martial excellence, when directed toward mass slaughter, turns the battlefield into a space of irreversible loss—inviting reflection on the cost of kṣatriya violence and the fragility of human life.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Karṇa is devastating the Pāṇḍava-aligned forces. Using a fire simile, he says the Sṛñjaya soldiers are burned to ashes by Karṇa’s onslaught, and adds that Karṇa is also striking down the Cedis, Kaikeyas, and Pāñcālas.