Санджая
तम् अभिद्रुत्य राधेयो मुहूर्ताद् भरतर्षभ ॥
अब्रवीत् प्रहसन् वाक्यं सहदेवं विशां पते ॥
मा युध्यस्व रणे वीर विशिष्टै रथिभिः सह ॥
सदृशैर् युध्य माद्रेय वचो मे मा विशङ्किथाः ॥
अथैनं धनुषो ऽग्रेण तुदन् भूयो ऽब्रवीद् वचः ॥
एषो ऽर्जुनो रणे यत्तो युध्यते कुरुभिः सह ॥
तत्र गच्छस्व माद्रेय गृहं वा यदि मन्यसे ॥
एवम् उक्त्वा तु तं कर्णो रथेन रथिनां वरः ॥
प्रायात् पाञ्चालपाण्डूनां सैन्यानि प्रहसन्न् इव ॥
tam abhidrutya rādheyo muhūrtād bharatarṣabha ||
abravīt prahasan vākyaṃ sahadevaṃ viśāṃ pate ||
mā yudhyasva raṇe vīra viśiṣṭai rathibhiḥ saha ||
sadṛśair yudhya mādreya vaco me mā viśaṅkithāḥ ||
athainaṃ dhanuṣo 'greṇa tudan bhūyo 'bravīd vacaḥ ||
eṣo 'rjuno raṇe yatto yudhyate kurubhiḥ saha ||
tatra gacchasva mādreya gṛhaṃ vā yadi manyase ||
evam uktvā tu taṃ karṇo rathena rathināṃ varaḥ ||
prāyāt pāñcālapāṇḍūnāṃ sainyāni prahasann iva ||
Held back by arrows, Sahadeva left the fray. Overtaking him, Radheya, a moment later, O bull among Bharatas, said, smiling, a word to Sahadeva, O lord of peoples: "Do not fight in battle, O hero, with warriors who surpass you; fight with your equals, O son of Madri, do not disregard my word." Then, prodding him with the tip of his bow, he said again: "There Arjuna, eager in battle, fights with the Kurus; go there, O son of Madri, or home, if you prefer."
5ab93a1fb9bb · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:49:34 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Karna does not kill the defeated youth, but stings him with words and a jab of the bow -- mercy poisoned by humiliation. It is telling that he drives the young man toward Arjuna or "home": mockery wounds more bitterly than a blow. The verse teaches that mercy given with arrogance wounds a man's dignity worse than a sword; to spare is a good, but to spare with contempt is cruelty of another kind. True generosity does not flaunt superiority over the one it has spared, nor turn a granted life into a reproach.