Shloka 17
कर्णपुत्रवधः (The Fall of Vṛṣasena) — Karṇa Parva, Adhyāya 62
क्षीणशस्त्रास्त्रकवच: क्षीणबाणो विबाणधि: । श्रान्तसारथिवाहश्न च्छन्नो<स्त्रैररिभिस्तथा
kṣīṇaśastrāstrakavacaḥ kṣīṇabāṇo vibāṇadhiḥ | śrāntasārathivāhaś ca channo 'strair aribhis tathā ||
Sañjaya sprach: Er war seiner Waffen, Geschosse und Rüstung beraubt; seine Pfeile waren verschossen und der Köcher leer. Sein Wagenlenker und die Pferde waren erschöpft, und auch er selbst war bedeckt—von allen Seiten bedrängt—von den Waffen der Feinde.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfastness under extreme depletion—when weapons, protection, and support fail. In the Mahabharata’s war-ethic, true valor includes endurance and composure amid overwhelming pressure, not merely offensive success.
Sañjaya describes a warrior in dire straits: weapons and armor are lost or spent, arrows are exhausted, the quiver is empty, and even the charioteer and horses are worn out, while enemy missiles continue to rain down, surrounding and covering him.