तं श्रुत्वा निनदं घोरं तव सैन्यस्य मारिष ॥
मारुतोद्धूतवेगस्य समुद्रस्येव पर्वणि ॥
दुर्योधनस् तदा राजा आर्श्यशृङ्गिम् अभाषत ॥
एष कार्ष्णिर् महेष्वासो द्वितीय इव फल्गुनः ॥
चमूं द्रावयते क्रोधाद् वृत्रो देवचमूम् इव ॥
तस्य नान्यं प्रपश्यामि संयुगे भेषजं महत् ॥
ऋते त्वां राक्षसश्रेष्ठ सर्वविद्यासु पारगम् ॥
स गत्वा त्वरितं वीरं जहि सौभद्रम् आहवे ॥
वयं पार्थान् हनिष्यामो भीष्मद्रोणपुरःसराः ॥
स एवम् उक्तो बलवान् राक्षसेन्द्रः प्रतापवान् ॥
प्रययौ समरे तूर्णं तव पुत्रस्य शासनात् ॥
नर्दमानो महानादं प्रावृषीव बलाहकः ॥
तस्य शब्देन महता पाण्डवानां महद् बलम् ॥
प्राचलत् सर्वतो राजन् पूर्यमाण इवार्णवः ॥
बहवश् च नरा राजंस् तस्य नादेन भीषिताः ॥
प्रियान् प्राणान् परित्यज्य निपेतुर् धरणीतले ॥
कार्ष्णिश् चापि मुदा युक्तः प्रगृहीतशरासनः ॥
नृत्यन्न् इव रथोपस्थे तद् रक्षः समुपाद्रवत् ॥
taṃ śrutvā ninadaṃ ghoraṃ tava sainyasya māriṣa ||
mārutoddhūtavegasya samudrasyeva parvaṇi ||
duryodhanas tadā rājā ārśyaśṛṅgim abhāṣata ||
eṣa kārṣṇir maheṣvāso dvitīya iva phalgunaḥ ||
camūṃ drāvayate krodhād vṛtro devacamūm iva ||
tasya nānyaṃ prapaśyāmi saṃyuge bheṣajaṃ mahat ||
ṛte tvāṃ rākṣasaśreṣṭha sarvavidyāsu pāragam ||
sa gatvā tvaritaṃ vīraṃ jahi saubhadram āhave ||
vayaṃ pārthān haniṣyāmo bhīṣmadroṇapuraḥsarāḥ ||
sa evam ukto balavān rākṣasendraḥ pratāpavān ||
prayayau samare tūrṇaṃ tava putrasya śāsanāt ||
nardamāno mahānādaṃ prāvṛṣīva balāhakaḥ ||
tasya śabdena mahatā pāṇḍavānāṃ mahad balam ||
prācalat sarvato rājan pūryamāṇa ivārṇavaḥ ||
bahavaś ca narā rājaṃs tasya nādena bhīṣitāḥ ||
priyān prāṇān parityajya nipetur dharaṇītale ||
kārṣṇiś cāpi mudā yuktaḥ pragṛhītaśarāsanaḥ ||
nṛtyann iva rathopasthe tad rakṣaḥ samupādravat ||
Hearing this terrible roar of your army, O venerable one, like the roar of the ocean at high tide, stirred to speed by the wind, King Duryodhana then addressed Arshyashringi-Alambusha: 'This Karshni, the mighty archer, like a second Phalguna, scatters the army in his wrath, as Vritra scattered the host of the gods. In battle I see no other great remedy against him but you, best of rakshasas, skilled in all knowledge. Go quickly to this hero and slay Saubhadra in the fight. We, with Bhishma and Drona in the lead, will destroy the Parthas.' Thus addressed, the powerful and glorious lord of the rakshasas, at the command of your son, advanced swiftly into battle, roaring a mighty roar like a raincloud in the rainy season. At his tremendous cry the great host of the Pandavas shook on every side, O king, like a rising sea. Many warriors, terrified by his roar, gave up their dear lives and fell to the ground. But Karshni, joyful, bow in hand, as if dancing on the platform of his chariot, rushed at this rakshasa.'
391778d7a0a4 · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:47:12 PM UTC
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Duryodhana answers Abhimanyu's plain martial strength with a force of another kind — the terror of a rakshasa. But Abhimanyu is not afraid: his joy before meeting Alambusha shows an inner readiness for an even more dangerous form of combat.