लब्धलक्ष्यस् तु राधेयः पाञ्चालानां महारथान् ॥
अभ्यपीडयद् आयस्तः शरैर् मेघ इवाचलान् ॥
सा पीड्यमाना कर्णेन पाञ्चालानां महाचमूः ॥
संप्राद्रवत् सुसंत्रस्ता सिंहेनेवार्दिता मृगी ॥
पतितास् तुरगेभ्यश् च गजेभ्यश् च महीतले ॥
रथेभ्यश् च नरास् तूर्णम् अदृश्यन्त ततस् ततः ॥
धावमानस्य योधस्य क्षुरप्रैः स महामृधे ॥
बाहू चिच्छेद वै कर्णः शिरश् चैव सकुण्डलम् ॥
labdhalakṣyas tu rādheyaḥ pāñcālānāṃ mahārathān ||
abhyapīḍayad āyastaḥ śarair megha ivācalān ||
sā pīḍyamānā karṇena pāñcālānāṃ mahācamūḥ ||
saṃprādravat susaṃtrastā siṃhenevārditā mṛgī ||
patitās turagebhyaś ca gajebhyaś ca mahītale ||
rathebhyaś ca narās tūrṇam adṛśyanta tatas tataḥ ||
dhāvamānasya yodhasya kṣurapraiḥ sa mahāmṛdhe ||
bāhū ciccheda vai karṇaḥ śiraś caiva sakuṇḍalam ||
And Radheya [Karna], having found his mark, pressed hard, straining, upon the great warriors of the Panchalas with arrows, as a cloud beats upon the mountains. That great army of the Panchalas, pressed by Karna, fled, thoroughly terrified, like a doe harried by a lion. Fallen from horses and from elephants to the ground, and from chariots, men were swiftly seen everywhere. Of a fleeing warrior, with razor-edged arrows, in that great battle, Karna cut off the arms and the head with its earrings.
4b80a83e25c0 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:49:34 PM UTC
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Karna, "having found his mark," batters the Panchalas as a cloud beats upon mountains, and severs the arms and heads of those in flight. It is telling that his might is displayed on the very eve of his own death — Ghatotkacha is already on his way. The verse teaches that the hour of highest triumph often precedes a fall; and one who now seems unstoppable, like a storm over mountains, does not know that his own storm is already near — a lesson on the impermanence of all earthly power.