Shloka 27
द्रौणि-पार्षतयोर्युद्धम् | The Duel of Aśvatthāmā
Drauṇi) and Dhṛṣṭadyumna (Pārṣata
कर्णोउप्यन्यद् धनुर्गह्म हेमपृष्ठं दुरासदम् । विकृष्य तन्महच्चापं व्यसूजत् सायकांस्तदा,तब कर्णने भी सुवर्णमय पीठवाले दूसरे दुर्धर्ष एवं विशाल धनुषको हाथमें लेकर खींचा और बाणोंकी वर्षा प्रारम्भ कर दी
sañjaya uvāca |
karṇo 'py anyad dhanur gṛhya hemapṛṣṭhaṃ durāsadam |
vīkṛṣya tan mahācāpaṃ vyasṛjat sāyakāṃs tadā ||
Sañjaya said: Karṇa too took up another bow—gold-backed and hard to withstand. Drawing that great bow to its full stretch, he began to loose volleys of arrows. The scene shows the battle’s relentless escalation: prowess and resolve surge onward even as the moral weight of violence continues to gather.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the momentum of kṣatriya warfare: skill, readiness, and unwavering resolve are praised as martial virtues, while the broader narrative invites reflection on how such escalating force, though aligned with battlefield duty, deepens the ethical gravity of the conflict.
Sañjaya reports that Karṇa switches to another formidable, gold-backed bow, draws it fully, and begins showering arrows—signaling an intensified phase of combat.