तपान्ते तोयदो यद्वच् छरधाराः क्षरत्य् असौ ॥
दिव्यास्त्रजलदः कर्णः पर्जन्य इव वृष्टिमान् ॥
सो ऽद्य मानुषतां प्राप्तो विमुक्तः शक्रदत्तया ॥
एको हि योगो ऽस्य भवेद् वधाय; छिद्रे ह्य् एनं स्वप्रमत्तः प्रमत्तम् ॥
कृच्छ्रप्राप्तं रथचक्रे निमग्ने; हन्याः पूर्वं त्वं तु संज्ञां विचार्य ॥
जरासंधश् चेदिराजो महात्मा; महाबलश् चैकलव्यो निषादः ॥
एकैकशो निहताः सर्व एव; योगैस् तैस् तैस् त्वद्धितार्थं मयैव ॥
अथापरे निहता राक्षसेन्द्रा; हिडिम्बकिर्मीरबकप्रधानाः ॥
अलायुधः परसैन्यावमर्दी; घटोत्कचश् चोग्रकर्मा तरस्वी ॥
tapānte toyado yadvac charadhārāḥ kṣaraty asau ||
divyāstrajaladaḥ karṇaḥ parjanya iva vṛṣṭimān ||
so 'dya mānuṣatāṃ prāpto vimuktaḥ śakradattayā ||
eko hi yogo 'sya bhaved vadhāya; chidre hy enaṃ svapramattaḥ pramattam ||
kṛcchraprāptaṃ rathacakre nimagne; hanyāḥ pūrvaṃ tvaṃ tu saṃjñāṃ vicārya ||
jarāsaṃdhaś cedirājo mahātmā; mahābalaś caikalavyo niṣādaḥ ||
ekaikaśo nihatāḥ sarva eva; yogais tais tais tvaddhitārthaṃ mayaiva ||
athāpare nihatā rākṣasendrā; hiḍimbakirmīrabakapradhānāḥ ||
alāyudhaḥ parasainyāvamardī; ghaṭotkacaś cograkarmā tarasvī ||
"As a cloud at the end of the scorching heat [pours forth rain], so he pours forth streams of arrows -- Karna, a cloud of divine weapons, like a rain-laden cloud. He has now been brought down to a human state, released from the gift of Shakra. For there is but one way to his death: in his lapse -- you yourself alert, him negligent -- fallen into distress, when [his] chariot wheel is sunk [in the ground], strike him first, having weighed [your] judgment. Jarasandha, the great-souled king of Chedi [Shishupala], and the mighty Ekalavya the Nishada -- all of them were slain one by one, by those various means, for your benefit, by me alone. Then other lords of the rakshasas were also slain, headed by Hidimba, Kirmira, Baka; Alayudha, crusher of enemy armies, and Ghatotkacha, fierce in deeds, swift."
d40255e0beed · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:58:11 PM UTC
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Krishna reveals his long-standing care: one by one he has removed those who threatened Arjuna -- Jarasandha, Shishupala, Ekalavya, the rakshasas. It is significant that the counsel about Karna's death -- "strike when the wheel sinks" -- is part of this same providence. The verse teaches that providence works not suddenly but through a long chain of obstacles removed; and behind every deliverance of the righteous stands the unseen labor of a higher will, preparing it gradually, long before the decisive hour.