Shloka 89
शरै: प्रचिच्छेद तवात्मजस्य ध्वजं धनुश्न प्रचकर्त नर्दतः । जघान चाश्वान् कृतवर्मण: शुभान् ध्वजं च चिच्छेद तत: प्रतापवान्
śaraiḥ praciccheda tavātmajasya dhvajaṃ dhanuś ca pracakarta nardataḥ | jaghāna cāśvān kṛtavarmaṇaḥ śubhān dhvajaṃ ca ciccheda tataḥ pratāpavān ||
Karna sprach: Mit seinen Pfeilen hieb der mächtige Krieger das Banner nieder und zerschmetterte den Bogen deines Sohnes, der im Kampf brüllte. Dann erschlug er die schönen Pferde Kṛtavarmans und zerhieb auch dessen Feldzeichen in Stücke.
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the fragility of external symbols of power—banner, bow, and cavalry—when confronted by superior skill and resolve. Ethically, it reflects the harsh logic of kṣatriya warfare: prideful roaring and display do not protect one from the consequences of combat, and prowess can rapidly reverse a warrior’s standing.
In the midst of battle, Arjuna uses his arrows to sever Duryodhana’s standard and break his bow. He then kills Kṛtavarman’s horses and cuts down Kṛtavarman’s banner as well, demonstrating dominance by disabling both the warrior’s weapons and the visible emblems of their battlefield presence.