संजय उवाच
ततः कर्णो रणे दृष्ट्वा पार्षतं परवीरहा ॥
आजघानोरसि शरैर् दशभिर् मर्मभेदिभिः ॥
प्रतिविव्याध तं तूर्णं धृष्टद्युम्नो ऽपि मारिष ॥
पञ्चभिः सायकैर् हृष्टस् तिष्ठ तिष्ठेति चाब्रवीत् ॥
ताव् अन्योन्यं शरैः संख्ये संछाद्य सुमहारथौ ॥
पुनः पूर्णायतोत्सृष्टैर् विव्यधाते परस्परम् ॥
ततः पाञ्चालमुख्यस्य धृष्टद्युम्नस्य संयुगे ॥
सारथिं चतुरश् चाश्वान् कर्णो विव्याध सायकैः ॥
saṃjaya uvāca
tataḥ karṇo raṇe dṛṣṭvā pārṣataṃ paravīrahā ||
ājaghānorasi śarair daśabhir marmabhedibhiḥ ||
prativivyādha taṃ tūrṇaṃ dhṛṣṭadyumno 'pi māriṣa ||
pañcabhiḥ sāyakair hṛṣṭas tiṣṭha tiṣṭheti cābravīt ||
tāv anyonyaṃ śaraiḥ saṃkhye saṃchādya sumahārathau ||
punaḥ pūrṇāyatotsṛṣṭair vivyadhāte parasparam ||
tataḥ pāñcālamukhyasya dhṛṣṭadyumnasya saṃyuge ||
sārathiṃ caturaś cāśvān karṇo vivyādha sāyakaiḥ ||
Then Karna, slayer of enemy heroes, having seen Parshata [Dhrishtadyumna] in battle, struck him in the chest with ten arrows that pierce to the vitals. Pierced in return at once was Dhrishtadyumna, o venerable one, with five arrows, exultant, and he cried out: "Stand, stand!" The two great warriors, having covered each other with arrows in battle, again pierced each other with arrows loosed at full draw. Then, in the clash, Karna pierced with arrows the charioteer and the four horses of Dhrishtadyumna, chief of the Panchalas.
f1e95a2265d6 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:49:34 PM UTC
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Two men meet whose fates are entwined with the death of teachers: Karna, and Dhrishtadyumna, destined to slay Drona. It is telling that exultant Dhrishtadyumna does not retreat before the greatest of archers. The verse teaches that courage does not measure the enemy's strength before joining battle; and one to whom greatness is foretold goes to meet the strongest without timidity — for he carries a certainty born not of calculation but of destiny.