सर्वशस्त्रभृतां श्रेष्ठं रोचमानम् इवातिथिम् ॥
बन्धुम् आपद्गतस्येव तम् एवोपागमन् मनः ॥
चुक्रुशुः कर्ण कर्णेति तत्र भारत पार्थिवाः ॥
राधेयं हितम् अस्माकं सूतपुत्रं तनुत्यजम् ॥
स हि नायुध्यत तदा दशाहानि महायशाः ॥
सामात्यबन्धुः कर्णो वै तम् आह्वयत माचिरम् ॥
sarvaśastrabhṛtāṃ śreṣṭhaṃ rocamānam ivātithim ||
bandhum āpadgatasyeva tam evopāgaman manaḥ ||
cukruśuḥ karṇa karṇeti tatra bhārata pārthivāḥ ||
rādheyaṃ hitam asmākaṃ sūtaputraṃ tanutyajam ||
sa hi nāyudhyata tadā daśāhāni mahāyaśāḥ ||
sāmātyabandhuḥ karṇo vai tam āhvayata māciram ||
Toward him [Karna] — the best of all who bear weapons, shining like a welcome guest, like a kinsman for one who has fallen into misfortune — their thoughts turned. They cried out there, "Karna, Karna!" O Bharata — the kings [called] to Radheya, our benefactor, the son of a suta, who spares not his life. For he, greatly renowned, had not fought for ten days; [and now] summon Karna, together with his counselors and kin — call him without delay!
d2b64ca4c330 · प्रकाशित 19 जुल॰ 2026, 2:46:26 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
The thoughts of the terrified turn to Karna as to a 'welcome guest' and a 'kinsman for one fallen into misfortune': in the hour of ruin the army seeks a new support — but again in a single mortal, not in dharma. Thus the old error repeats itself: they hasten to fill the place of the fallen idol with a new one. Karna is called one who 'spares not his life' — and in this his valor is genuine; but valor given to an unrighteous cause will not save a doomed army. The verse teaches that trust passing from one mortal hero to another does not heal the root of the trouble; for the trouble is not that Bhishma has fallen, but that the army stands for untruth, and no hero can turn aside an outcome already sealed by the trampling of dharma.