Shloka 98
अध्याय १४८ — कर्णप्रभावः, धृष्टद्युम्नस्य विरथता, तथा घटोत्कच-आह्वानम्
Chapter 148: Karṇa’s Pressure, Dhṛṣṭadyumna Unhorsed, and the Summoning of Ghaṭotkaca
कर्णस्य तु धनुश्छित्त्वा वृषसेनस्थ चैव ह । शल्यस्य सूतं भल्लेन रथनीडादपातयत्,अर्जुनने कर्ण और वृषसेनके धनुष काटकर एक भल्ल्लके द्वारा शल्यके सारथिको रथकी बैठकसे नीचे गिरा दिया
karṇasya tu dhanuś chittvā vṛṣasenasya caiva ha | śalyasya sūtaṃ bhallena rathanīḍād apātayat ||
Sañjaya said: Arjuna cut down Karṇa’s bow, and likewise that of Vṛṣasena; then, with a sharp arrow, he struck down Śalya’s charioteer, casting him from the chariot-seat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh logic of kṣatriya warfare: victory often comes by disabling the opponent’s means—weapon and mobility—rather than by a purely symmetrical duel. It invites reflection on how dharma in war can become entangled with necessity, strategy, and the momentum of violence.
Sañjaya narrates that Arjuna severs the bows of Karṇa and Vṛṣasena, then uses a sharp bhalla arrow to strike down Śalya’s charioteer, causing him to fall from the chariot-seat—thereby disrupting the enemy’s fighting capability and control of the chariot.