Shloka 12
Aśvatthāman’s Arrow-Screen and the Confrontation with Yudhiṣṭhira (द्रौणि–युधिष्ठिर-संग्रामः)
तावेतौ पुरुषव्याप्रौ समेतौ स्यन्दने स्थितौ
tāvetau puruṣavyāprau sametau syandane sthitau
Karna sprach: „Jene beiden mächtigen Streiter, zusammengekommen, standen auf dem Wagen.“
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the immediacy of martial encounter: when two leading warriors meet face-to-face, action becomes unavoidable. Ethically, it points to the kṣatriya frame of duty—standing one’s ground in a decisive moment—while reminding the reader that individual valor unfolds within a larger, morally complex war.
Karna describes a scene where two prominent fighters have closed in and are positioned on a chariot, signaling the start or peak of a direct engagement. The focus is on their readiness and the tense convergence before combat intensifies.