Shloka 19
Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
तथैव कृतवर्मा च कृप: शल्यश्न मारिष । विद्ध्वा नाकम्पयत् कार्ष्णि मैनाकमिव पर्वतम्
tathaiva kṛtavarmā ca kṛpaḥ śalyas tathaiva ca, viddhvā nākampayat kārṣṇiṃ mainākam iva parvatam.
Sañjaya said: Even so, Kṛtavarmā, Kṛpa, and Śalya—though they struck Kārṣṇi with their arrows—could not make him waver; he stood unmoved like Mount Maināka. The verse underscores the warrior’s steadfastness under assault, where inner resolve and disciplined courage prevail over mere physical injury amid the moral strain of battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfastness (dhṛti) in the face of harm: true martial excellence is not merely striking the enemy but maintaining unwavering resolve and composure under attack, a key aspect of kṣatriya-dharma in the epic’s ethical landscape.
Sañjaya reports that Kṛtavarmā, Kṛpa, and Śalya shower Kārṣṇi with arrows, yet he remains unshaken—compared to Mount Maināka—emphasizing the intensity of the combat and the exceptional firmness of the warrior being attacked.