Shloka 29
कर्ण-पाण्डव-संमर्दः — Karṇa and Arjuna’s Intensified Engagement
अश्वानृक्षसवर्णाश्व हंसवर्णर्हयोत्तमै: | व्यामिश्रयद् रणे कर्ण: पाण्डवं छादयन् शरै:,उस रणक्षेत्रमें पाण्डुनन्दन भीमको अपने बाणोंसे आच्छादित करते हुए कर्णने रीछके समान रंगवाले अपने काले घोड़ोंको भीमसेनके हंस-सदृश श्वेतवर्णवाले उत्तम घोड़ोंके साथ मिला दिया
sañjaya uvāca |
aśvān ṛkṣa-savarṇāśva haṃsa-varṇair hayottamaiḥ |
vyāmiśrayad raṇe karṇaḥ pāṇḍavaṃ chādayañ śaraiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: In the thick of battle, Karṇa, showering the Pāṇḍava (Bhīma) with arrows, drove his bear-hued dark horses into close mêlée with Bhīmasena’s finest horses, white as swans.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the Mahābhārata’s war-ethos: in a kṣatriya conflict, victory is pursued through relentless pressure and tactical closeness. Ethically, it reflects how martial excellence can be used to dominate an opponent, while the larger epic invites reflection on the cost and moral weight of such overpowering force.
Sañjaya describes Karṇa attacking Bhīma fiercely—‘covering’ him with a rain of arrows—while Karṇa’s dark, bear-colored horses are driven into close intermingling with Bhīma’s swan-white, excellent horses, indicating a tight, chaotic engagement between their chariots.