Shloka 49
द्रोणकर्णयोः निशि संप्रहारः — Night Engagement with Droṇa and Karṇa
स विद्ध्वा दशभि: पार्थ वासुदेव॑ च सप्तभि:
sa viddhvā daśabhiḥ pārtha vāsudevaṃ ca saptabhiḥ
Sañjaya said: Having struck Pārtha (Arjuna) with ten (arrows) and Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) with seven, the warrior pressed the attack—an image of the battle’s ruthless intensity, where even the charioteer who upholds dharma is not spared amid the demands of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the harsh impartiality of battlefield karma: in war, even the foremost agents of dharma (Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa) face injury. It invites reflection on kṣatriya-duty—acting decisively within one’s role—while recognizing the moral weight and cost of violence.
Sañjaya reports a combat moment where an unnamed warrior (from the immediate context) shoots and hits Arjuna with ten arrows and Kṛṣṇa with seven, intensifying the engagement around Arjuna’s chariot.