Shloka 83
तथापि त॑ प्रस्फुरदात्तकार्मुकं त्रिभि: शरैर्यन्तृशिर: क्षुरेण । हयांश्वतुर्भिश्व पुनस्त्रिभिर्ध्वजं धनंजयो द्रौणिरथादपातयत्
tathāpi taṁ prasphuradāttakārmukaṁ tribhiḥ śarair yantṛśiraḥ kṣureṇa | hayāṁś caturbhiś ca punas tribhir dhvajaṁ dhanaṁjayo drauṇirathād apātayat ||
Dennoch schlug Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) vom Wagen Aśvatthāmans herab: mit drei Pfeilen seinen glänzenden, erhobenen Bogen; mit einem rasierklingigen Geschoss den Kopf des Wagenlenkers; mit vier Pfeilen die vier Pferde; und abermals mit drei Pfeilen das Banner. Die Szene betont die erbarmungslose Präzision der Kriegskunst—wo Waffenmeisterschaft, nicht Erbarmen, den unmittelbaren Ausgang bestimmt, während der große Krieg weiter die Grenzen des Dharma erprobt.
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in the immediacy of war, technical mastery and decisive action dominate; yet it implicitly raises ethical tension: even rightful combat (kṣatriya-dharma) can involve extreme violence, reminding readers that dharma in war is complex and often judged by intent, necessity, and proportionality.
Arjuna (Dhanañjaya) devastates Aśvatthāman’s chariot setup: he knocks down the bow, kills the charioteer with a razor-edged shot, brings down the four horses, and fells the banner—effectively disabling the chariot and turning the tide of that exchange.