तद् अद्भुतम् अभूद् युद्धं कर्णपाण्डवयोर् मृधे ॥
क्रुद्धयोर् वाशिताहेतोर् वन्ययोर् गजयोर् इव ॥
ततः पार्थो महेष्वासो दृष्ट्वा कर्णस्य विक्रमम् ॥
मुष्टिदेशे धनुस् तस्य चिच्छेद त्वरयान्वितः ॥
अश्वांश् च चतुरो भल्लैर् अनयद् यमसादनम् ॥
सारथेश् च शिरः कायाद् अहरच् छत्रुतापनः ॥
अथैनं छिन्नधन्वानं हताश्वं हतसारथिम् ॥
विव्याध सायकैः पार्थश् चतुर्भिः पाण्डुनन्दनः ॥
हताश्वात् तु रथात् तूर्णम् अवप्लुत्य नरर्षभः ॥
आरुरोह रथं तूर्णं कृपस्य शरपीडितः ॥
tad adbhutam abhūd yuddhaṃ karṇapāṇḍavayor mṛdhe ||
kruddhayor vāśitāhetor vanyayor gajayor iva ||
tataḥ pārtho maheṣvāso dṛṣṭvā karṇasya vikramam ||
muṣṭideśe dhanus tasya ciccheda tvarayānvitaḥ ||
aśvāṃś ca caturo bhallair anayad yamasādanam ||
sāratheś ca śiraḥ kāyād aharac chatrutāpanaḥ ||
athainaṃ chinnadhanvānaṃ hatāśvaṃ hatasārathim ||
vivyādha sāyakaiḥ pārthaś caturbhiḥ pāṇḍunandanaḥ ||
hatāśvāt tu rathāt tūrṇam avaplutya nararṣabhaḥ ||
āruroha rathaṃ tūrṇaṃ kṛpasya śarapīḍitaḥ ||
That was a wondrous battle between Karna and the Pandava in the clash, the two of them furious like two wild elephants fighting over a she-elephant. Then Partha, the great archer, seeing Karna's valor, swiftly cut his bow at the grip, and with bhalla-arrows sent his four horses to the abode of Yama, and the scorcher of foes struck the charioteer's head from his body. Then, with his bow cut, his horses slain, and his charioteer slain, Partha, the son of Pandu, pierced him with four arrows.
513c8dcab16d · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:40:45 PM UTC
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Arjuna overcomes Karna -- cutting his bow, striking down his horses and charioteer: in this encounter the Pandava prevails. It is notable that Karna, who had once pressed hundreds of kings, could not stand before Arjuna. The verse teaches that even one dreaded by many meets his superior; and one who was unconquerable for others discovers the limit of his strength when he meets an equal or a greater.