Shloka 60
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena
ब्राह्मणस्यांसदेशे स निपपात महाद्युति: । स विह्वलो महाराज शरवेगेन संयुगे
brāhmaṇasyāṃsadeśe sa nipapāta mahādyutiḥ | sa vihvalo mahārāja śaravegena saṃyuge ||
Sañjaya sprach: Jener strahlende Krieger stürzte auf die Schultergegend eines Brahmanen. O König, im Getümmel war er betäubt und erschüttert von der gewaltigen Wucht des Pfeils.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the fragility of power in war and the ethical shadow of battle: a single arrow can render even a ‘radiant’ hero helpless, and the turmoil of combat can spill over onto those outside the fight (here, a Brahmin), reminding readers of dharma’s concern for restraint and the protection of the non-combatant.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that an illustrious warrior, struck with great force, collapses in the midst of battle and falls onto the shoulder-region of a Brahmin, lying stunned due to the arrow’s impact.