Shloka 5
Karṇa’s Camp-Council Discourse: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament, Sañjaya’s Counsel, and Karṇa’s Request for Śalya
Book 8, Chapter 22
दुःशासनस्ततकश्चापं छित्त्वा राजन् महाहवे । सहदेवं त्रिसप्तत्या बाह्वोरुरसि चार्पयत्,राजन्! उस महासमरमें दुःशासनने सहदेवका धनुष काटकर उनकी दोनों भुजाओं और छातीमें तिहत्तर बाण मारे
sañjaya uvāca | duḥśāsanas tatakaś cāpaṃ chittvā rājan mahāhave | sahadevaṃ trisaptatyā bāhvor urasi cārpayat ||
Sañjaya sprach: „O König, in jener großen Schlacht hieb Duḥśāsana Sahadevas Bogen entzwei und trieb ihm dann dreiundsiebzig Pfeile in die Glieder — in beide Arme und in die Brust.“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh logic of battlefield conduct: disabling an opponent’s weapon first and then pressing the advantage. Ethically, it reflects how war intensifies aggression and suffering, serving as a reminder of the destructive momentum that adharma-driven conflict can unleash.
Sanjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duḥśāsana, in the thick of the great fight, cuts Sahadeva’s bow and then wounds him by planting seventy-three arrows into his arms and chest.