Karna Warns That the Pandavas Will Not Yield

Verse 1 (7.22.1)

भारद्वाजेन भग्नेषु पाण्डवेषु महामृधे । पाञ्चालेषु च सर्वेषु कश्चिदन्योऽभ्यवर्तत ॥

bhāradvājena bhagneṣu pāṇḍaveṣu mahāmṛdhe | pāñcāleṣu ca sarveṣu kaścidanyo'bhyavartata

"When the Pandavas and all the Panchalas had been shattered in that great battle by Bharadvaja's son, did any other warrior turn back to face him?"

Verse 2 (7.22.2)

आर्यां युद्धे मतिं कृत्वा क्षत्रियाणां यशस्करीम् । असेवितां कापुरुषैः सेवितां पुरुषर्षभैः ॥

āryāṃ yuddhe matiṃ kṛtvā kṣatriyāṇāṃ yaśaskarīm | asevitāṃ kāpuruṣaiḥ sevitāṃ puruṣarṣabhaiḥ

"Setting his mind on the noble way of battle that wins renown for Kshatriyas, a way that cowards never follow and the best of men do,"

Verse 3 (7.22.3)

स हि वीरोन्नतः शूरो यो भग्नेषु निवर्तते । अहो नासीत्पुमान्कश्चिद्दृष्ट्वा द्रोणं व्यवस्थितम् ॥

sa hi vīronnataḥ śūro yo bhagneṣu nivartate | aho nāsītpumānkaściddṛṣṭvā droṇaṃ vyavasthitam

"for he is truly a hero, exalted and brave, who turns back when others are broken. Ah, was there no man at all who, on seeing Drona standing firm,"

Verse 4 (7.22.4)

जृम्भमाणमिव व्याघ्रं प्रभिन्नमिव कुञ्जरम् । त्यजन्तमाहवे प्राणान्सन्नद्धं चित्रयोधिनम् ॥

jṛmbhamāṇamiva vyāghraṃ prabhinnamiva kuñjaram | tyajantamāhave prāṇānsannaddhaṃ citrayodhinam

"as he stood like a yawning tiger, like an elephant in rut, ready to give up his life in battle, a wondrous fighter, fully armed,"

Verse 5 (7.22.5)

महेष्वासं नरव्याघ्रं द्विषतां भयवर्धनम् । कृतज्ञं सत्यनिरतं दुर्योधनहितैषिणम् ॥

maheṣvāsaṃ naravyāghraṃ dviṣatāṃ bhayavardhanam | kṛtajñaṃ satyanirataṃ duryodhanahitaiṣiṇam

"the great archer, tiger among men, who heightens the fear of his enemies, grateful, devoted to truth, wishing Duryodhana well,"

Verse 6 (7.22.6)

भारद्वाजं तथाऽनीके दृष्ट्वा शूरमवस्थितम् । के शूराः सन्न्यवर्तन्त तन्ममाचक्ष्व सञ्जय ॥

bhāradvājaṃ tathā'nīke dṛṣṭvā śūramavasthitam | ke śūrāḥ sannyavartanta tanmamācakṣva sañjaya

"and on seeing Bharadvaja's son holding his place in the ranks, turned back to him? Which heroes turned back? Tell me that, Sanjaya."

Verse 7 (7.22.7)

तान्दृष्ट्वा चलितान्सङ्ख्ये प्रणुन्नान्द्रोणसायकैः । पाञ्चालान्पाण्डवान्मात्स्यान्सृञ्जयांश्चेदिकेकयान् ॥

tāndṛṣṭvā calitānsaṅkhye praṇunnāndroṇasāyakaiḥ | pāñcālānpāṇḍavānmātsyānsṛñjayāṃścedikekayān

Seeing the Panchalas, Pandavas, Matsyas, Srinjayas, Chedis and Kekayas wavering in battle, driven back by Drona's arrows,

Note on the text: Corrected पाण्वान् → पाण्डवान् (misprint in Wikisource; dropped ड; the critical edition reads pāṇḍavān). The page's speaker heading reads सञ्चय उवाच (a typo for सञ्जय उवाच); the speaker is given as सञ्जय for verses 7–10, which are Sanjaya's narration.

Verse 8 (7.22.8)

द्रोणचापविमुक्तेन शरौघेणाशु हारिणा । सिन्धोरिव महौधेन ह्रियमाणान्यथा प्लवान् ॥

droṇacāpavimuktena śaraugheṇāśu hāriṇā | sindhoriva mahaudhena hriyamāṇānyathā plavān

and swept off at once by the swift flood of arrows loosed from Drona's bow, as rafts are carried away by the great torrent of the Sindhu,

Note on the text: Corrected हियमाणान् → ह्रियमाणान् (misprint in Wikisource; dropped र; the critical edition reads hriyamāṇān).

Verse 9 (7.22.9)

कौरवाः सिंहनादेन नानावाद्यस्वनेन च । रथद्विपनरांश्चैव सर्वतः समवारयन् ॥

kauravāḥ siṃhanādena nānāvādyasvanena ca | rathadvipanarāṃścaiva sarvataḥ samavārayan

the Kauravas, with lion-roars and the din of many kinds of instruments, closed in on all sides about the chariots, elephants and men.

Verse 10 (7.22.10)

तान्पश्यन्सैन्यमध्यस्थो राजा स्वजनसम्वृतः । दुर्योधनोऽब्रवीत्कर्णं प्रहृष्टः प्रहसन्निव ॥

tānpaśyansainyamadhyastho rājā svajanasamvṛtaḥ | duryodhano'bravītkarṇaṃ prahṛṣṭaḥ prahasanniva

Seeing them, King Duryodhana, standing in the midst of the army, surrounded by his own people, delighted and as if laughing, said to Karna:

Verse 11 (7.22.11)

पश्य राधेय पाञ्चालान्प्रणुन्नान्द्रोणसायकैः । सिंहेनेव मृगान्वन्यांस्त्रासितान्दृढधन्वना ॥

paśya rādheya pāñcālānpraṇunnāndroṇasāyakaiḥ | siṃheneva mṛgānvanyāṃstrāsitāndṛḍhadhanvanā

"Look, Radheya, at the Panchalas driven back by Drona's arrows, like wild deer terrified by a lion, that firm-bowed warrior."

Verse 12 (7.22.12)

नैते जातु पुनर्युद्धमीहेयुरिति मे मतिः । यथा तु भग्ना द्रोणेन वातेनेव महाद्रुमाः ॥

naite jātu punaryuddhamīheyuriti me matiḥ | yathā tu bhagnā droṇena vāteneva mahādrumāḥ

"It is my belief that they will never wish for battle again, so shattered are they by Drona, like great trees by the wind."

Verse 13 (7.22.13)

अर्द्यमानाः शरैरेते रुक्मपुङ्खैर्महात्मना । पथा नैकेन गच्छन्ति घूर्णमानास्ततस्ततः ॥

ardyamānāḥ śarairete rukmapuṅkhairmahātmanā | pathā naikena gacchanti ghūrṇamānāstatastataḥ

"Tormented by the great-souled one's gold-feathered arrows, they stream away by more than one path, reeling this way and that."

Verse 14 (7.22.14)

सन्निरुद्धाश्च कौरव्यैर्द्रोणेन च महात्मना । एतेऽन्ये मण्डलीभूताः पावकेनेव कुञ्जराः ॥

sanniruddhāśca kauravyairdroṇena ca mahātmanā | ete'nye maṇḍalībhūtāḥ pāvakeneva kuñjarāḥ

"Hemmed in by the Kauravas and by the great-souled Drona, these others have bunched into circles, like elephants ringed by fire."

Verse 15 (7.22.15)

भ्रमरैरिव चाविष्टा द्रोणस्य निशितैः शरैः । अन्योन्यं समलीयन्त पलायनपरायणाः ॥

bhramarairiva cāviṣṭā droṇasya niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ | anyonyaṃ samalīyanta palāyanaparāyaṇāḥ

"Beset by Drona's sharp arrows as by bees, they cling to one another, intent only on flight."

Verse 16 (7.22.16)

एष भीमो महाक्रोधी हीनः पाण्डवसृञ्जयैः । मदीयैरावृतो योधैः कर्ण नन्दयतीव माम् ॥

eṣa bhīmo mahākrodhī hīnaḥ pāṇḍavasṛñjayaiḥ | madīyairāvṛto yodhaiḥ karṇa nandayatīva mām

"And here is Bhima, great in wrath, cut off from the Pandavas and Srinjayas and ringed by my warriors, who seems to gladden me, Karna."

Verse 17 (7.22.17)

व्यक्तं द्रोणमयं लोकमद्य पश्यति दुर्मतिः । निराशो जीवितान्नूनमद्य राज्याच्च पाण्डवः ॥

vyaktaṃ droṇamayaṃ lokamadya paśyati durmatiḥ | nirāśo jīvitānnūnamadya rājyācca pāṇḍavaḥ

"Plainly the evil-minded Pandava sees the world filled with Drona today; surely he has lost hope today of life and of the kingdom."

Verse 18 (7.22.18)

नैष जातु महाबाहुर्जीवन्नाहवमुत्सृजेत् । न चेमान्पुरुषव्याघ्र सिंहनादान्सहिष्यति ॥

naiṣa jātu mahābāhurjīvannāhavamutsṛjet | na cemānpuruṣavyāghra siṃhanādānsahiṣyati

"This mighty-armed one will never give up the fight while he lives, nor will he put up with these lion-roars, tiger among men."

Verse 19 (7.22.19)

न चापि पाण्डवा युद्धे भज्येरन्निति मे मतिः । शूराश्च बलवन्तश्च कृतास्त्रा युद्धदुर्मदाः ॥

na cāpi pāṇḍavā yuddhe bhajyeranniti me matiḥ | śūrāśca balavantaśca kṛtāstrā yuddhadurmadāḥ

"Nor do I think the Pandavas can be broken in battle: they are brave and strong, skilled in weapons and wild with the fury of war."

Verse 20 (7.22.20)

विषाग्निद्यूतसङ्क्लेशान्वनवासं च पाण्डवाः । स्मरमाणा न हास्यन्ति सङ्ग्राममिति मे मतिः ॥

viṣāgnidyūtasaṅkleśānvanavāsaṃ ca pāṇḍavāḥ | smaramāṇā na hāsyanti saṅgrāmamiti me matiḥ

"Remembering the poison, the fire, the sufferings of the dice and the life in the forest, the Pandavas will not give up the fight; so I believe."

Verse 21 (7.22.21)

निवृत्तो हि महाबाहुरमितौजा वृकोदरः । वरान्वरान्हि कौन्तेयो रथोदारान्हनिष्यति ॥

nivṛtto hi mahābāhuramitaujā vṛkodaraḥ | varānvarānhi kaunteyo rathodārānhaniṣyati

"For the mighty-armed Vrikodara, of boundless vigour, has turned back, and Kunti's son will slay the finest chariot-warriors one after another."

Verse 22 (7.22.22)

असिना धनुषा शक्त्या हयैर्नागैर्नरै रथैः । आयसेन च दण्डेन व्रातान्व्रातान्हनिष्यति ॥

asinā dhanuṣā śaktyā hayairnāgairnarai rathaiḥ | āyasena ca daṇḍena vrātānvrātānhaniṣyati

"With sword and bow, with spear, with horses, elephants, men and chariots, and with his iron club he will strike down the warriors troop by troop."

Note on the text: Corrected शक्या → शक्त्या (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads śaktyā, "with the spear"). Corrected नरै स्थैः → नरै रथैः (misprint in Wikisource; र dropped; the critical edition reads narai rathaiḥ).

Verse 23 (7.22.23)

तमेनमनुवर्तन्ते सात्यकिप्रमुखा रथाः । पाञ्चालाः केकया मात्स्याः पाण्डवाश्च विशेषतः ॥

tamenamanuvartante sātyakipramukhā rathāḥ | pāñcālāḥ kekayā mātsyāḥ pāṇḍavāśca viśeṣataḥ

"Chariot-warriors led by Satyaki follow him, and the Panchalas, Kekayas, Matsyas, and above all the Pandavas."

Note on the text: Corrected मास्त्याः → मात्स्याः (misprint in Wikisource; स for त्स; the critical edition reads matsyāḥ). Corrected पाश्डवाश्च → पाण्डवाश्च (misprint in Wikisource; श for ण; the critical edition reads pāṇḍavāś ca).

Verse 24 (7.22.24)

शूराश्च बलवन्तश्च विक्रान्ताश्च महारथाः । विनिघ्नन्तश्च भीमेन संरब्धेनाभिचोदिताः ॥

śūrāśca balavantaśca vikrāntāśca mahārathāḥ | vinighnantaśca bhīmena saṃrabdhenābhicoditāḥ

"Brave and strong, valiant great chariot-warriors, they strike our men down, driven on by the furious Bhima."

Verse 25 (7.22.25)

ते द्रोणमभिवर्तन्ते सर्वतः कुरुपुङ्गवाः । वृकोदरं परीप्सन्तः सूर्यमभ्रगणा इव ॥

te droṇamabhivartante sarvataḥ kurupuṅgavāḥ | vṛkodaraṃ parīpsantaḥ sūryamabhragaṇā iva

"Those bulls among the Kurus are charging at Drona from every side, intent on guarding Vrikodara, like banks of cloud about the sun."

Verse 26 (7.22.26)

समरेषु तु निर्दिष्टाः पाण्डवाः कृष्णबान्धवाः । पाञ्चालाः केकया मात्स्याः पाण्डवेयाश्च सर्वशः ॥

samareṣu tu nirdiṣṭāḥ pāṇḍavāḥ kṛṣṇabāndhavāḥ | pāñcālāḥ kekayā mātsyāḥ pāṇḍaveyāśca sarvaśaḥ

"In wars the Pandavas, who count Krishna as their kinsman, are the ones singled out, along with the Panchalas, Kekayas, Matsyas, and the Pandavas' sons, everywhere."

Note on the text: Removed the wiki opening backtick. Not in the critical edition's constituted text (found in the vulgate recension): line 1 is the critical edition's star passage 7.21.25d*0157_01; line 2 is not in the critical edition at all. Verses 26–31 are the passage the page opens with a backtick; the speaker stays Karna.

Verse 27 (7.22.27)

शूराश्च बलवन्तश्च विक्रान्ताश्च महारथाः । ह्रीमन्तः शत्रुमरणे निपुणाः पुण्यलक्षणाः ॥

śūrāśca balavantaśca vikrāntāśca mahārathāḥ | hrīmantaḥ śatrumaraṇe nipuṇāḥ puṇyalakṣaṇāḥ

"They are brave and strong, valiant great chariot-warriors, modest, skilled in destroying foes, marked by good signs."

Note on the text: Corrected हीमन्तः → ह्रीमन्तः (misprint in Wikisource; dropped र; the star passage reads hrīmantaḥ). Not in the critical edition's constituted text (found in the vulgate recension): line 1 is not in the critical edition (it repeats the first line of verse 24); line 2 is its star passage 7.21.25d*0158_01.

Verse 28 (7.22.28)

बहवः पार्थिवा राजंस्तेषां वशगता रणे । मावमंस्थाः पाण्डवांस्त्वं नारायणपुरोगमान् ॥

bahavaḥ pārthivā rājaṃsteṣāṃ vaśagatā raṇe | māvamaṃsthāḥ pāṇḍavāṃstvaṃ nārāyaṇapurogamān

"Many kings, O king, have fallen under their sway in battle. Do not look down on the Pandavas, with Narayana at their head."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as the star passage 7.21.25d*0158_02–03.

Verse 29 (7.22.29)

एकायनगता ह्येते पीडयेयुर्यतव्रतम् । अरक्ष्यमाणं शलभा यथा दीपं मुमूर्षवः ॥

ekāyanagatā hyete pīḍayeyuryatavratam | arakṣyamāṇaṃ śalabhā yathā dīpaṃ mumūrṣavaḥ

"United on a single course, they can press hard on the vow-keeping Drona, who is unguarded, as moths bent on death rush at an unprotected lamp."

Note on the text: Corrected अरक्षमाणं → अरक्ष्यमाणं (misprint in Wikisource; dropped ्य; the critical edition reads arakṣyamāṇam). The automatic alignment found no match because the critical edition prints three-line verses here: lines 1–2 are its 7.21.26ac.

Verse 30 (7.22.30)

असंशयं कृतास्त्राश्च पर्याप्ताश्चापि वारणे । अतिभारमहं मन्ये भारद्वाजे समाहितम् ॥

asaṃśayaṃ kṛtāstrāśca paryāptāścāpi vāraṇe | atibhāramahaṃ manye bhāradvāje samāhitam

"Without doubt they are skilled in weapons and well able to hold him back as well. I think too heavy a burden has been laid on Bharadvaja's son."

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition's 7.21.26e; line 2 is its 7.21.27a (the automatic alignment found no match because the critical edition prints three-line verses here).

Verse 31 (7.22.31)

ते शीघ्रमनुगच्छामो यत्र द्रोणो व्यवस्थितः । कोका इव महानागं मा वै हन्युर्यतव्रतम् ॥

te śīghramanugacchāmo yatra droṇo vyavasthitaḥ | kokā iva mahānāgaṃ mā vai hanyuryatavratam

"So let us go at once to where Drona stands, lest they kill that vow-keeping great elephant, as wolves pull down a mighty tusker."

Note on the text: Lines 1–2 are the critical edition's 7.21.27ce (the automatic alignment found no match because the critical edition prints three-line verses here).

Verse 32 (7.22.32)

राधेयस्य वचः श्रुत्वा राजा दुर्योधनस्ततः । भ्रातृभिः सहितो राजन्प्रायाद्द्रोणरथं प्रति ॥

rādheyasya vacaḥ śrutvā rājā duryodhanastataḥ | bhrātṛbhiḥ sahito rājanprāyāddroṇarathaṃ prati

On hearing Radheya's words, King Duryodhana, together with his brothers, went toward Drona's chariot, O king.

Verse 33 (7.22.33)

तत्रारावो महानासीदेकं द्रोणं जिघांसताम् । पाण्डवानां निवृत्तानां नानावर्णैर्हयोत्तमैः ॥

tatrārāvo mahānāsīdekaṃ droṇaṃ jighāṃsatām | pāṇḍavānāṃ nivṛttānāṃ nānāvarṇairhayottamaiḥ

There a great uproar arose from those who were bent on killing Drona alone, as the Pandavas, rallying, came on upon their fine horses of many colours.