स तद् रूपं भैरवं भीमकर्मा; भीमं कृत्वा भैमसेनिः पपात ॥
हतो ऽप्य् एवं तव सैन्येकदेशम्; अपोथयत् कौरवान् भीषयाणः ॥
ततो मिश्राः प्राणदन् सिंहनादैर्; भेर्यः शङ्खा मुरजाश् चानकाश् च ॥
दग्धां मायां निहतं राक्षसं च; दृष्ट्वा हृष्टाः प्राणदन् कौरवेयाः ॥
ततः कर्णः कुरुभिः पूज्यमानो; यथा शक्रो वृत्रवधे मरुद्भिः ॥
अन्वारूढस् तव पुत्रं रथस्थं; हृष्टश् चापि प्राविशत् स्वं स सैन्यम् ॥
sa tad rūpaṃ bhairavaṃ bhīmakarmā; bhīmaṃ kṛtvā bhaimaseniḥ papāta ||
hato 'py evaṃ tava sainyekadeśam; apothayat kauravān bhīṣayāṇaḥ ||
tato miśrāḥ prāṇadan siṃhanādair; bheryaḥ śaṅkhā murajāś cānakāś ca ||
dagdhāṃ māyāṃ nihataṃ rākṣasaṃ ca; dṛṣṭvā hṛṣṭāḥ prāṇadan kauraveyāḥ ||
tataḥ karṇaḥ kurubhiḥ pūjyamāno; yathā śakro vṛtravadhe marudbhiḥ ||
anvārūḍhas tava putraṃ rathasthaṃ; hṛṣṭaś cāpi prāviśat svaṃ sa sainyam ||
He, dread in deeds, having made that dread form terrible, the son of Bhimasena fell; even slain, thus he crushed a part of your army, terrifying the Kauravas. Then, mingled together, kettledrums, conches, murajas, and anakas roared with lion-cries; seeing the burnt sorcery and the slain rakshasa, delighted, the Kauravas roared. Then Karna, honored by the Kurus as Shakra at the slaying of Vritra — by the Maruts, mounting up to your son upon his chariot, and delighted, entered his own army.
19eccd7a1d08 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:58:10 PM UTC
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The chapter closes with Karna's triumph, honored "like Indra after the slaying of Vritra." But behind this rejoicing lies a bitter truth: the dart kept for Arjuna is spent, and Karna has doomed himself. It is telling that the joy of the Kurus is blind to this loss. The verse teaches that one kind of triumph is the beginning of ruin: those who rejoice do not see that victory is bought at the price of a future defeat; and Krishna's design is fulfilled — Ghatotkacha has perished, but has saved Arjuna, drawing away from him the fateful spear.