Shloka 39
Śalya–Bhīma Gadāyuddham (मद्रराज-भीमसेन गदायुद्धम्)
तत् पौरुषमभूत् तत्र सूतपुत्रस्य दारुणम् । यत् सैन्यं वारयामास शरै: संनतपर्वभि:,वहाँ सूतपुत्र कर्णका भयंकर पुरुषार्थ प्रकट हुआ। उसने झुकी हुई गाँठवाले बाणोंद्वारा उनकी समस्त सेनाकी प्रगति रोक दी
tat pauruṣam abhūt tatra sūtaputrasya dāruṇam | yat sainyaṁ vārayāmāsa śaraiḥ saṁnataparvabhiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: There, the fierce prowess of Karṇa, the charioteer’s son, became manifest—when, with arrows whose joints were bent downward, he checked the advance of the opposing army.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how concentrated courage and skill, when effectively applied, can restrain even a vast force. Ethically, it also reflects the grim reality of war: excellence in violence becomes ‘praise-worthy’ within the battlefield frame, even as the overall situation grows more dreadful.
Sañjaya reports that Karṇa’s fierce prowess becomes evident as he halts the army’s forward movement by showering it with arrows described as having bent joints/knots, effectively checking their advance.