Shloka 38
धर्मरहस्योपदेशः
Dharma-rahasya Instruction: Vows, Truth, and Non-injury
स विद्धः सूतपुत्रेण छादयामास पत्रिभि: । विव्याध निशितै: कर्ण नवभिन्नतपर्वभि:,सूतपुत्रके द्वारा घायल होनेपर उन्होंने भी उसे बाणोंसे आच्छादित कर दिया और झुकी हुई गाँठवाले नौ तीखे बाणोंसे कर्णको बीध डाला
sa viddhaḥ sūtaputreṇa chādayāmāsa patribhiḥ | vivyādha niśitaiḥ karṇaṃ navabhinna-taparvabhiḥ ||
Sañjaya sprach: Vom Sohn des Wagenlenkers (Karna) getroffen, bedeckte er seinerseits Karṇa mit einem Pfeilregen und durchbohrte Karṇa dann mit neun scharfen Schäften, deren Knoten gebogen und deutlich abgesetzt waren.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the battlefield ethic of immediate response and steadfastness under injury: a warrior, once struck, does not collapse into grievance but answers with skill and resolve. At the same time, it implicitly points to the tragic cycle of retaliation—violence multiplying through reciprocal action.
After being wounded by Karna (called ‘the charioteer’s son’), Karna’s opponent counters by blanketing Karna with arrows and then striking him with nine particularly sharp shafts described as having distinct, bent joints/knots.