Shloka 87
कृपस्य पार्थ: सशरं शरासनं हयान् ध्वजान् सारथिमेव पत्रिभि: | समार्पयद् बाहुसहस्रविक्रम- स्तथा यथा वज्रधर: पुरा बले:
kṛpasya pārthaḥ saśaraṃ śarāsanaṃ hayān dhvajān sārathim eva patribhiḥ | samārpayad bāhusahasravikramaḥ tathā yathā vajradharaḥ purā baleḥ ||
Karna sprach: Arjuna, der Sohn der Pṛthā—dessen Kraft der des tausendarmigen Helden glich—schoss gefiederte Pfeile und zerschmetterte Kṛpas Bogen samt seinen Pfeilen; auch seine Pferde, sein Banner und sogar den Wagenlenker traf er. So tat er es, wie einst Indra, der Träger des Donnerkeils, in uralter Zeit die Waffen und das Kriegsgerät des Königs Bali zerbrach.
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in the chaos of righteous war, mastery and force can decisively disable an opponent’s entire fighting apparatus (weapon, mobility, and support staff). It invites reflection on the ethical edge of battlefield conduct: victory may demand total neutralization, yet such acts also intensify the moral weight borne by warriors.
Karna narrates that Arjuna attacks Kṛpa with a volley of arrows, piercing not only Kṛpa’s bow (with its arrows) but also the horses, the banner, and even the charioteer—rendering Kṛpa’s chariot-combat effectively crippled. The feat is compared to Indra’s ancient overpowering of King Bali.