चित्रोपचित्रश् चित्राक्षश् चारुचित्रः शरासनः ॥
चित्रायुधश् चित्रवर्मा समरे चित्रयोधिनः ॥
आगच्छतस् तान् सहसा भीमो राजन् महारथः ॥
साश्वसूतध्वजान् यत्तान् पातयाम् आस संयुगे ॥
ते हता न्यपतन् भूमौ वातनुन्ना इव द्रुमाः ॥
दृष्ट्वा विनिहतान् पुत्रांस् तव राजन् महारथान् ॥
अश्रुपूर्णमुखः कर्णः कश्मलं समपद्यत ॥
citropacitraś citrākṣaś cārucitraḥ śarāsanaḥ ||
citrāyudhaś citravarmā samare citrayodhinaḥ ||
āgacchatas tān sahasā bhīmo rājan mahārathaḥ ||
sāśvasūtadhvajān yattān pātayām āsa saṃyuge ||
te hatā nyapatan bhūmau vātanunnā iva drumāḥ ||
dṛṣṭvā vinihatān putrāṃs tava rājan mahārathān ||
aśrupūrṇamukhaḥ karṇaḥ kaśmalaṃ samapadyata ||
Chitra and Upachitra, Chitraksha, Charuchitra the archer, Chitrayudha, Chitravarman -- fighting wondrously in battle -- these, having suddenly advanced with horses, charioteers, and banners, prepared for battle, Bhima, o king, the great warrior, struck down in the combat. Seeing your slain sons, the great warriors, fallen, o king, Karna, his face full of tears, fell into a swoon.
f1cae8353a45 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:25:13 PM UTC
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Six brothers, skilled fighters, die all at once -- and the fearsome Karna, unbroken by wounds, falls senseless from grief. It is telling that not a blow but the sight of the fallen overwhelms the hero: compassion undermines the spirit more surely than valor sustains it. The verse teaches that a warrior can endure any wound to his own body, but grief over those dying beside him fells even the strongest; and the price of obstinacy is exacted not only in the blood of the fallen, but in the hearts of the living.