राधेयं निर्जितं दृष्ट्वा तावका भरतर्षभ ॥
धनंजयशरैर् नुन्नाः प्राद्रवन्त दिशो दश ॥
द्रवतस् तान् समालोक्य राजा दुर्योधनो नृप ॥
निवर्तयाम् आस तदा वाक्यं चेदम् उवाच ह ॥
अलं द्रुतेन वः शूरास् तिष्ठध्वं क्षत्रियर्षभाः ॥
एष पार्थवधायाहं स्वयं गच्छामि संयुगे ॥
अहं पार्थान् हनिष्यामि सपाञ्चालान् ससोमकान् ॥
अद्य मे युध्यमानस्य सह गाण्डीवधन्वना ॥
द्रक्ष्यन्ति विक्रमं पार्थाः कालस्येव युगक्षये ॥
rādheyaṃ nirjitaṃ dṛṣṭvā tāvakā bharatarṣabha ||
dhanaṃjayaśarair nunnāḥ prādravanta diśo daśa ||
dravatas tān samālokya rājā duryodhano nṛpa ||
nivartayām āsa tadā vākyaṃ cedam uvāca ha ||
alaṃ drutena vaḥ śūrās tiṣṭhadhvaṃ kṣatriyarṣabhāḥ ||
eṣa pārthavadhāyāhaṃ svayaṃ gacchāmi saṃyuge ||
ahaṃ pārthān haniṣyāmi sapāñcālān sasomakān ||
adya me yudhyamānasya saha gāṇḍīvadhanvanā ||
drakṣyanti vikramaṃ pārthāḥ kālasyeva yugakṣaye ||
Leaping down swiftly from his chariot with its slain horses, the bull-like man mounted Kripa's chariot, pressed by arrows. Seeing Radheya [Karna] defeated, your men, O bull among the Bharatas, driven by Dhananjaya's arrows, fled in every direction. Seeing them fleeing, King Duryodhana turned them back and spoke these words: 'Enough of flight, O brave ones; stand firm, bulls among kshatriyas; here I go myself into the fray to slay Partha.'
1d343b0c9323 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:40:45 PM UTC
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Karna flees to Kripa's chariot, the army scatters -- and Duryodhana himself resolves to face Arjuna: despair drives the leader into battle. It is notable that he halts the fleeing by his own example. The verse teaches that when the chief support falls, the leader is forced to stand himself; and a commander's resolve to go out in person is both courage and a sign that no other support remains.