Shloka 6
कर्णार्जुनसमागमः — The Karṇa–Arjuna Confrontation
Cosmic Spectatorship and Vows
यद् यद्धि व्याक्षिपद् युद्धे पाण्डवो<5स्त्रजिघांसया । तत् तदस्त्रं महेष्वासो द्रोणपुत्रो व्यशातयत्
yad yaddhi vyākṣipad yuddhe pāṇḍavo 'strajighāṃsayā | tat tadastraṃ maheṣvāso droṇaputro vyaśātayat ||
Sañjaya sprach: Im Kampf wurde jede Waffe, die der Pāṇḍava (Arjuna) in der Absicht schleuderte, die Waffen des Gegners zu vernichten, von dem Großbogenschützen, Droṇas Sohn Aśvatthāmā, auf dem Schlachtfeld immer wieder zerschnitten und unwirksam gemacht.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how, in war, technical mastery and timely countermeasures can nullify even powerful attacks. Ethically, it also reflects the grim momentum of combat: intent (jighāṃsā) and skill combine to intensify violence, reminding readers that prowess in arms does not by itself resolve the deeper moral tragedy of war.
Sañjaya describes a duel-like exchange: Arjuna launches various astras to destroy or overcome the opponent’s weaponry, but Aśvatthāmā, famed as Droṇa’s son and a great archer, cuts down each incoming missile, preventing Arjuna’s weapons from taking effect on the battlefield.