Арджуна
हन्तास्मि वृषसेनं ते प्रेक्षमाणस्य संयुगे ॥
ये चान्ये ऽप्य् उपयास्यन्ति बुद्धिमोहेन मां नृपाः ॥
तांश् च सर्वान् हनिष्यामि सत्येनायुधम् आलभे ॥
त्वां च मूढाकृतप्रज्ञम् अतिमानिनम् आहवे ॥
दृष्ट्वा दुर्योधनो मन्दो भृशं तप्स्यति पातितम् ॥
अर्जुनेन प्रतिज्ञाते वधे कर्णसुतस्य तु ॥
महान् सुतुमुलः शब्दो बभूव रथिनां तदा ॥
hantāsmi vṛṣasenaṃ te prekṣamāṇasya saṃyuge ||
ye cānye 'py upayāsyanti buddhimohena māṃ nṛpāḥ ||
tāṃś ca sarvān haniṣyāmi satyenāyudham ālabhe ||
tvāṃ ca mūḍhākṛtaprajñam atimāninam āhave ||
dṛṣṭvā duryodhano mando bhṛśaṃ tapsyati pātitam ||
arjunena pratijñāte vadhe karṇasutasya tu ||
mahān sutumulaḥ śabdo babhūva rathināṃ tadā ||
"I will slay your Vrishasena before you, looking on, in the clash, and those other kings who, through delusion of mind, will approach me. And seeing you, deluded and unwise, arrogant in battle, fallen — the foolish Duryodhana will grieve bitterly." When Arjuna had thus vowed the slaying of Karna's son, a great tumultuous roar rose up among the warriors then.
032bbe1e7355 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:31:38 PM UTC
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Arjuna answers mockery not with abuse but with a vow — naming the hour and the victim: the deed outweighs the words. It is telling that he promises Karna grief through the death of his son — by the same measure that Karna bears guilt in Abhimanyu's death. The verse teaches that retribution for wrong often reaches the offender through what is dear to him; and he who has struck at another's son will hear a vow of the death of his own — the circle of vengeance closes along the very line first drawn by the first blow.