Shloka 18
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 47 — Abhimanyu’s rapid exchanges, counsel to disable his chariot-system
कर्णो द्वाविंशतिं भल्लान् कृतवर्मा च विंशतिम् । बृहद्बलस्तु पञ्चाशत् कृप: शारद्वतो दश,तत्पश्चात् कर्णने बाईस, कृतवर्मने बीस, बृहदबलने पचास तथा शरद्वानके पुत्र कृपाचार्यने अभिमन्युको दस भल्ल मारे
sañjaya uvāca
karṇo dvāviṁśatiṁ bhallān kṛtavarmā ca viṁśatim |
bṛhadbalas tu pañcāśat kṛpaḥ śāradvato daśa ||
Sañjaya sprach: Danach traf Karṇa mit zweiundzwanzig scharfen Pfeilen; Kṛtavarmā mit zwanzig; Bṛhadbala mit fünfzig; und Kṛpa, der Sohn Śaradvatās, mit zehn. So wurde Abhimanyu im Gedränge der Schlacht zugleich von vielen Kriegern bedrängt.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim moral tension of warfare: prowess is measured in strikes and counts, yet the scene also hints at ethical strain when many renowned warriors concentrate force against a single opponent. It invites reflection on kṣatriya-dharma—valor and duty—alongside the limits of fairness amid battlefield necessity.
Sañjaya reports the number of bhalla-arrows discharged/landed by key Kaurava-side warriors—Karṇa, Kṛtavarmā, Bṛhadbala, and Kṛpa—against Abhimanyu during the intense fighting in the Droṇa Parva episode where Abhimanyu is being heavily targeted.