08067001a athAbravId vAsudevo rathastho rAdheya diSTyA smarasIha dharmam 'saJjaya said, 'Then vAsudeva, stationed on the car, addressed karNa, saying, 'By good luck it is, O son of rAdhA, that thou rememberest virtue!
08067001c prAyeNa nIcA vyasaneSu magnA nindanti daivaGM kukRtanM na tat tat It is generally seen that they that are mean, when they sink into distress, rail at Providence but never at their own misdeeds.
08067002a yad draupadIm ekavastrAM sabhAyAm AnAyya tvaJM caiva suyodhanaz ca Thyself and suyodhana and duHzAsana and zakuni, the son of subala, had caused draupadI, clad in a single piece of raiment, to be brought into the midst of the assembly.
08067002c duzHzAsanazH zakunisH saubalaz ca na te karNa pratyabhAt tatra dharmaH On that occasion, O karNa, this virtue of thine did not manifest itself.
08067003a yadA sabhAyAGM kaunteyam anakSajJaM yudhiSThiram When at the assembly zakuni, an adept in dice, vanquished kuntI's son yudhiSThira who was unacquainted with it,
08067003c akSajJazH zakunir jetA tadA dharmaH kva te gataH whither was this virtue of thine?
(skipped 2 lines)
08067005a rAjyalubdhaH punaH karNa samAhvayasi pANDavam Covetous of kingdom, thou summonedest the pANDavas (to a match of dice)
08067005c gAndhArarAjam Azritya kva te dharmas tadA gataH relying on the ruler of the gandhAras. Whither then had this virtue of thine gone? When many mighty car-warriors, encompassing the boy abhimanyu in battle, slew him, whither had this virtue of thine then gone? If this virtue that thou now invokest was nowhere on those occasions, what is the use then of parching thy palate now, by uttering that word? Thou art now for the practice of virtue, O sUta, but thou shalt not escape with life. Like nala who was defeated by puSkara with the aid of dice but who regained his kingdom by prowess, the pANDavas, who are free from cupidity, will recover their kingdom by the prowess of their arms, aided with all their friends. Having slain in battle their powerful foes, they, with the somakas, will recover their kingdom. The dhArtaraSTras will meet with destruction at the hands of those lions among men, that are always protected by virtue!'' 'saJjaya continued, 'Thus addressed, O bharata, by vAsudeva, karNa hung down his head in shame and gave no answer. With lips quivering in rage, he raised his bow, O bharata, and, being endued with great energy and prowess, he continued to fight with pArtha. Then vAsudeva, addressing Phalguna, that bull among men, said, 'O thou of great might, piercing karNa with a celestial weapon, throw him down.'
08067006a evam ukte tu rAdheye vAsudevena pANDavam
08067006c manyur abhyAvizat tIvrasH smRtvA tat tad dhanaJMjayam Thus addressed by the holy one, arjuna became filled with rage. Indeed, remembering the incidents alluded to by kRSNa, dhanaJjaya blazed up with fury.
08067007a tasya krodhena sarvebhyasH srotobhyas tejaso 'rciSaH and from all the pores of his body, from rage, blazing flames of fire
08067007c prAdurAsan mahArAja tad adbhutam ivAbhavat appeared, O king. The sight seemed to be exceedingly wonderful.
08067008a taM samIkSya tataH karNo brahmAstreNa dhanaMjayam Seeing him, karNa, with the brahmAstra, showered arrows upon dhanaJjaya,
08067008c abhyavarSat punar yatnam akarod rathasarjane and once more made an effort to extricate his car. pArtha also, by the aid of the brahmAstra, poured arrowy downpours upon karNa.
08067008e tad astram astreNAvArya prajahArAsya pANDavaH Baffling with his own weapon the weapon of his foe, the son of pANDu continued to strike him.
08067009a tato 'nyad astraGM kaunteyo dayitaJM jAtavedasaH The son of kuntI then, aiming at karNa sped another favourite weapon of his that was inspired with the energy of agni.
08067009c mumoca karNam uddizya tat prajajvAla vai bhRzam Sped by arjuna, that weapon blazed up with its own energy.
08067010a vAruNena tataH karNaH zamayAmAsa pAvakam karNa, however, quenched that conflagration with the weapon of varuNa.
08067010c jImUtaiz ca dizasH sarvAz cakre timiradurdinAH The sUta's son also, by the clouds he created, caused all the points of the compass to be shrouded with a darkness such as may be seen on a rainy day.
08067011a pANDaveyas tv asamMbhrAnto vAyavyAstreNa vIryavAn
08067011c apovAha tadAbhrANi rAdheyasya prapazyataH The son of pANDu, endued with great energy, fearlessly dispelled those clouds by means of the Vayavya weapon in the very sight of karNa. The sUta's son then, for slaying the son of pANDu, took up a terrible arrow blazing like fire. When that adored shaft was fixed on the bow-string, the earth, O king, trembled with her mountains and waters and forests. Violent winds began to blow, bearing hard pebbles. All the points of the compass became enveloped with dust. Wails of grief, O bharata, arose among the gods in the welkin. Beholding that shaft aimed by the sUta's son, O sire, the pANDavas, with cheerless hearts, gave themselves up to great sorrow. That shaft of keen point and endued with the effulgence of zakra's thunder, sped from karNa's arms, fell upon dhanaJjaya's chest and penetrated it like a mighty snake penetrating an ant-hill. That grinder of foes, viz., the high-souled bIbhatsu, thus deeply pierced in that encounter, began to reel. His grasp became loosened, at which his bow gANDIva dropped from his hand. He trembled like the prince of mountains in an earthquake. Availing himself of that opportunity, the mighty car-warrior vRSaka, desirous of extricating his car-wheel that had been swallowed up by the earth, jumped down from his vehicle. Seizing the wheel with his two arms he endeavoured to drag it up, but though possessed of great strength, he failed in his efforts, as destiny would have it. Meanwhile the diadem-decked and high-souled arjuna, recovering his senses, took up a shaft, fatal as the rod of Death, and called anjalika. Then vAsudeva, addressing pArtha, said, 'Cut off with thy arrow the head of this enemy of thine, viz., vRSaka, before he succeeds in getting upon his car.' Applauding those words of the lord vAsudeva, and while the wheel of his enemy was still sunk, the mighty car-warrior arjuna took up a razor-headed arrow of blazing effulgence and struck the standard (of karNa) bearing the elephant's rope and bright as the spotless sun.
08067012a taM hastikakSyApravaraJM ca bANaisH suvarNamuktAmaNivajramRSTam That standard bearing the device of the costly elephant's rope, was adorned with gold and pearls and gems and diamonds,
08067012c kAlaprayatnottamazilpiyatnaiH kRtaM surUpaM vitamaskam uccaiH and forged with care by foremost of artists excelling in knowledge, and possessed of great beauty, and variegated with pure gold.
08067013a UrjaskaranM tava sainyasya nityam amitravitrAsanam IDyarUpam That standard always used to fill thy troops with high courage and the enemy with fear. Its form commanded applause. Celebrated over the whole world, it resembled the sun in splendour. Indeed, its effulgence was like that of fire or the sun or the moon.
08067014a tataH kSureNAdhiratheH kirITI suvarNapuGkhena zitena yattaH The diadem-decked arjuna, with that razor-headed shaft, exceedingly sharp, equipped with wings of gold,
08067014c zriyA jvalantanM dhvajam unmamAtha mahArathasyAdhirather mahAtmA possessed of the splendour of fire when fed with libations of clarified butter, and blazing with beauty, cut off that standard of that great car-warrior, adhiratha's son.
08067015a yazaz ca dharmaz ca jayaz ca mAriSa priyANi sarvANi ca tena ketunA With that standard, as it fell, the fame, pride, hope of victory, and everything dear,
08067015c tadA kurUNAM hRdayAni cApatan babhUva hAheti ca nisvano mahAn as also the hearts of the kurus, fell, and loud wails of 'Oh!' and 'Alas!' arose. Beholding that standard cut off and thrown down by that hero of kuru's race possessed of great lightness of hand, thy troops, O bharata, were no longer hopeful of karNa's victory.
08067016a atha tvaran karNavadhAya pANDavaH Hastening then for karNa's destruction,
08067016b mahendravajrAnaladaNDasanMnibham pArtha took out from his quiver an excellent aJjalika weapon
08067016c Adatta pArtho 'JjalikanM niSaGgAt that resembled the thunder of indra or the rod of agni
08067016d sahasrarazmer iva razmim uttamam and that was possessed of the effulgence of the thousand-rayed Sun.
08067017a marmacchidaM zoNitamAMsadigdhaM vaizvAnarArkapratimamM mahArham Capable of penetrating the very vitals, besmeared with blood and flesh, resembling fire or the sun, made of costly materials,
08067017c narAzvanAgAsuharanM tryaratnim destructive of men, steeds, and elephants, of straight course
08067017d SaDvAjam aJjogatim ugravegam and fierce impetuosity, it measured three cubits and six feet.
08067018a sahasranetrAzanitulyatejasaM samAnakravyAdam ivAtidusHsaham Endued with the force of the thousand-eyed indra's thunder, irresistible as rAkSasas in the night,
08067018c pinAkanArAyaNacakrasanMnibhamM bhayaGMkaramM prANabhRtAM vinAzanam resembling Pinaka or nArAyaNa's discus, it was exceedingly terrible and destructive of all living creatures. pArtha cheerfully took up that great weapon, in the shape of an arrow, which could not be resisted by the very gods, that high-souled being which was always adored by the son of pANDu, and which was capable of vanquishing the very gods and the asuras. Beholding that shaft grasped by pArtha in that battle, the entire universe shook with its mobile and immobile creatures. Indeed, seeing that weapon raised (for being sped) in that dreadful battle, the RSis loudly cried out, 'Peace be to the universe!'
note: translation veers off here
08067019a yuktvA mahAstreNa pareNa mantravid vikRSya gANDIvam uvAca sasvanam The wielder of gANDIva then fixed on his bow that unrivalled arrow, uniting it with a high and mighty weapon. Drawing his bow gANDIva, he quickly said,
08067019c ayamM mahAstro 'pratimo dhRtazH zarazH zarIrabhic cAsuharaz ca durhRdaH 'Let this shaft of mine be like a mighty weapon capable of quickly destroying the body and heart of my enemy,
note: translation comes back
08067020a tapo 'sti taptaGM guravaz ca toSitA mayA yad iSTaM suhRdAnM tathA zrutam if I have ever practised ascetic austerities, gratified my superiors, and listened to the counsels of well-wishers.
08067020c anena satyena nihantv ayaM zarasH sudaMzitaH karNam ariM mamAjitaH Let this shaft, worshipped by me and possessed of great sharpness, slay my enemy karNa by that Truth.'
08067021a ity UcivAMs taM sa mumoca bANam Having said these words dhanaJjaya let off
08067021b dhanaJMjayaH karNavadhAya ghoram that terrible shaft for the destruction of karNa,
08067021c kRtyAm atharvAGgirasIm ivogrAm that arrow fierce and efficacious as a rite prescribed in the Atharvan of Angiras,
08067021d dIptAm asahyAM yudhi mRtyunApi blazing with effulgence, and incapable of being endured by Death himself in battle.
08067022a bruvan kirITI tam atiprahRSTo ayaM zaro me vijayAvaho 'stu And the diadem-decked pArtha, desirous of slaying karNa, with great cheerfulness, said, 'Let this shaft conduce to my victory.
note: hRSTo BAD-LINK(@half-)sandhi for hRSTas "glad"
08067022c jighAMsur arkendusamaprabhAvaH karNaM samAptiM nayatAM yamAya Shot by me, let this arrow possessed of the splendour of fire or the sun take karNa to the presence of yama.'
08067023a teneSuvaryeNa kirITamAlI prahRSTarUpo vijayAvahena Saying these words, arjuna, decked with diadem and garlands, cherishing feelings of hostility towards karNa and desirous of slaying him, cheerfully
08067023c jighAMsur arkendusamaprabheNa cakre viSaktaM ripum AtatAyI struck his foe with that foremost of shafts which was possessed of the splendour of the sun or the moon and capable of bestowing victory.
08067024a tad udyatAdityasamAnavarcasaM zarannabhomadhyagabhAskaropamam Thus sped by that mighty warrior, that shaft endued with the energy of the sun caused all the points of the compass to blaze up with light.
note: zaran ??
08067024c varAGgam urvyAm apatac camUpater divAkaro 'stAd iva raktamaNDalaH With that weapon arjuna struck off his enemy's head like indra striking off the head of vRtra with his thunder. Indeed, O king, with that excellent Anjalika weapon inspired with mantras into a mighty weapon, the son of indra cut off the head of Vaikartana in the afternoon. Thus cut off with that Anjalika, the trunk of karNa fell down on the earth. The head also of that commander of the (kaurava) army, endued with splendour equal to that of the risen sun and resembling the meridian sun of autumn, fell down on the earth like the sun of bloody disc dropped down from the Asta hills.
08067025a tad asya dehI satataM sukhoditaM svarUpam atyartham udArakarmaNaH Indeed, that head abandoned with great unwillingness the body, exceedingly beautiful and always nursed in luxury, of karNa of noble deeds,
08067025c pareNa kRcchreNa zarIram atyajad gRhamM maharddhIva sasaGgam IzvaraH like an owner abandoning with great unwillingness his commodious mansion filled with great wealth.
08067026a zarair vibhugnaM vyasu tad vivarmaNaH papAta karNasya zarIram ucchritam Cut off with arjuna's arrow, and deprived of life, the tall trunk of karNa endued with great splendour,
08067026c sravadvraNaGM gairikatoyavisravaGM girer yathA vajrahataM ziras tathA with blood issuing from every wound, fell down like the thunder-riven summit of a mountain of red chalk with crimson streams running down its sides after a shower.
08067027a dehAt tu karNasya nipAtitasya tejo dIptaGM khaM vigAhyAcireNa Then from that body of the fallen karNa a light passing through the welkin penetrated the sun.
08067027c tad adbhutaM sarvamanuSyayodhAH pazyanti rAjan nihate sma karNe This wonderful sight, O king, was beheld by the human warriors after the fall of karNa. Then the pANDavas, beholding karNa slain by Phalguna, loudly blew their conchs. Similarly, kRSNa and dhanaJjaya also, filled with delight, and losing no time, blew their conchs.
note: lines missing
08067028a taM somakAH prekSya hataM zayAnaM prItA nAdaM saha sainyair akurvan The somakas beholding karNa slain and lying on the field, were filled with joy and uttered loud shouts with the other troops (of the pANDava army).
08067028c tUryANi cAjaghnur atIva hRSTA vAsAMsi caivAdudhuvur bhujAMz ca In great delight they blew their trumpets and waved their arms and garments.
08067028e balAnvitAz cApy apare hy anRtyann anyonyam AzliSya nadanta UcuH All the warriors, O king, approaching pArtha, began to applaud him joyfully. Others, possessed of might, danced, embracing each other, and uttering loud shouts, said,
08067029a dRSTvA tu karNamM bhuvi niSTanantaM hataM rathAt sAyakenAvabhinnam 'By good luck, karNa hath been stretched on the earth and mangled with arrows.'
08067030c vibhAti dehaH karNasya svarazmibhir ivAMzumAn Indeed, the severed head of karNa looked beautiful like a mountain summit loosened by a tempest, or a quenched fire after the sacrifice is over, or the image of the sun after it has reached the Asta hills.
08067031a pratApya senAm AmitrInM dIptaizH zaragabhastibhiH The Karna-sun, with arrows for its rays, after having scorched the hostile army,
08067031c balinArjunakAlena nIto 'staGM karNabhAskaraH was at last caused to be set by the mighty Arjuna-time.
08067032a astaGM gacchan yathAdityaH prabhAm AdAya gacchati As the Sun, while proceeding towards the Asta hills, retires taking away with him all his rays,
08067032c evaJM jIvitam AdAya karNasyeSur jagAma ha even so that shaft (of arjuna) passed out, taking with it karNa's life breaths.
08067033a aparAhNe parAhNasya sUtaputrasya mAriSa The death hour of the sUta's son, O sire, was the afternoon of that day.
08067033c chinnam aJjalikenAjau sotsedham apatac chiraH Cut off with the Anjalika weapon in that battle, the head of karNa fell down along with his body.
08067034a upary upari sainyAnAnM tasya zatros tad aJjasA
08067034c ziraH karNasya sotsedham iSuH so 'pAharad drutam Indeed, that arrow of arjuna, in the very sight of the kaurava troops, quickly took away the head and the body of karNa. Beholding the heroic karNa thrown down stretched on the earth, pierced with arrows and bathed in blood, the king of the madras, went away on that car deprived of its standard. After the fall of karNa, the kauravas, deeply pierced with shafts in that battle, and afflicted with fear, fled away from the field, frequently casting their eyes on that lofty standard of arjuna that blazed with splendour. The beautiful head, graced with a face that resembled a lotus of a 1,000 petals, of karNa whose feats were like those of the thousand-eyed indra, fell down on the earth like the thousand-rayed sun as he looks at the close of day.''
