Shloka 29
अध्याय ६० — कर्णस्य पाञ्चाल-सोमक-निग्रहः
Karna’s Suppression of the Panchala–Somaka Forces
अथान्यै: सप्तदशभिर्भल्लै: कनकभूषणै: । धृष्टद्युम्न॑ं समासाद्य वाह्वोरुरगसि चार्पयत्,तत्पश्चात् धृष्टद्युम्नके पास पहुँचकर उसने सुवर्ण-भूषित दूसरे सत्रह भल्लोंसे उसकी दोनों भुजाओं और छातीमें प्रहार किया
athānyaiḥ saptadaśabhir bhallaiḥ kanakabhūṣaṇaiḥ | dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ samāsādya bāhvor urasi cārpayat ||
Sañjaya sprach: Dann, als er sich Dhṛṣṭadyumna näherte, traf er ihn mit siebzehn weiteren Bhalla-Pfeilen, mit Gold geschmückt, und pflanzte sie in beide Arme und in die Brust.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the Mahābhārata’s stark portrayal of kṣatriya warfare: valor is expressed through direct engagement and unyielding effort, yet the narrative also implicitly exposes the tragic cost of such relentless escalation—strength and skill operating within a dharma-bound but devastating battlefield.
Sañjaya reports that a warrior (implied by context) advances toward Dhṛṣṭadyumna and shoots him with seventeen additional gold-adorned bhalla-arrows, striking specifically his arms and chest, intensifying the duel’s ferocity.