Shloka 68
Cakravyūha-saṃkalpaḥ, Saṃśaptaka-āhvānaṃ, Saubhadra-vikrīḍitam
Drona Parva, Adhyāya 32
भल्लाभ्यां साधुमुक्ता भ्यां छित्त्वा कर्णस्य कार्मुकम्
bhallābhyāṃ sādhumuktābhyāṃ chittvā karṇasya kārmukam
قال سانجيا: وبسهمين من نوع «بهلّا» أُحسِنَ تصويبهما وأُطلقا بمهارة، قطع قوس كارْنَ—فكان ذلك فعلًا كبح، لوهلة، بأسَ المحارب الشهير، وأعلن انعطافًا حاسمًا في زخم المبارزة وسط أخلاق ساحة القتال الصارمة: مهارةٌ وعزم.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of disciplined skill: precision and timely action can neutralize even a great opponent’s advantage. Ethically, it underscores that in war, mastery and resolve often decide outcomes within the harsh framework of battlefield dharma.
Sañjaya reports that an unnamed warrior (contextually, Karṇa’s opponent in this episode) shoots two well-directed bhalla-arrows and severs Karṇa’s bow, temporarily disarming him and shifting the immediate balance of the fight.