Shloka 40
कर्णपर्व — पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः | Karṇa Parva, Chapter 15: Pāṇḍya’s Advance and Aśvatthāmā’s Counterstroke
ततः संशप्तकान् भूय: साश्वसूतरथद्विपान् | ध्वजपत्तिगणानुग्रैर्बाणैविव्याध पाण्डव:,तदनन्तर पाण्डुकुमार अर्जुनने पुनः घोड़े, सारथि, रथ, हाथी, पैदलसमूह और ध्वजोंसहित संशप्तक-सैनिकोंको अपने भयंकर बाणोंद्वारा बींध डाला
tataḥ saṁśaptakān bhūyaḥ sāśvasūtarathadvipān | dhvajapattigaṇān ugrair bāṇair vivyādha pāṇḍavaḥ ||
Sañjaya sprach: „Dann durchbohrte der Pāṇḍava (Arjuna) abermals die Saṁśaptaka-Krieger — samt ihren Pferden, Wagenlenkern, Streitwagen, Elefanten und den Scharen bannertragender Fußsoldaten — mit seinen grimmigen Pfeilen.“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfast performance of one’s ordained duty (kṣatriya-dharma) in a justly undertaken war: Arjuna acts with focused resolve against vowed enemy combatants, illustrating disciplined courage rather than personal cruelty.
Sañjaya narrates that Arjuna again attacks the Saṁśaptaka contingent, striking through their combined battle formation—horses, charioteers, chariots, elephants, foot-soldiers, and banner-bearers—using powerful volleys of arrows.