Shloka 22
अमोघशक्तिव्यंसनप्रश्नः — Why Karṇa’s Śakti Was Not Used on Arjuna
स भीम॑ पज्चभिर्विद्ध्वा पुनर्विव्याध सप्तभि: । विशोकं त्रिभिरानर्च्छद् ध्वजमेकेन पत्त्रिणा,उसने भीमसेनको पहले पाँच बाणोंसे बेधकर पुनः सात बाणोंसे घायल कर दिया। उनके सारथि विशोकको उसने तीन बाण मारे और एक बाणसे उनकी ध्वजा छेद डाली
sa bhīmaṁ pañcabhir viddhvā punar vivyādha saptabhiḥ | viśokaṁ tribhir ānarcched dhvajam ekena pattriṇā ||
Sañjaya said: Having first pierced Bhīma with five arrows, he struck him again with seven more. He then wounded Bhīma’s charioteer Viśoka with three shafts, and with a single feathered arrow he cut through the banner.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic where victory is pursued through skill and tactical targeting: not only the warrior but also the charioteer and the banner (a symbol of identity and morale) are struck. It reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring theme that war involves both physical harm and psychological/symbolic blows, raising questions about proportionality and the limits of kṣatriya conduct.
In Sañjaya’s report, an unnamed archer (contextually, Bhīma’s opponent in this exchange) first hits Bhīma with five arrows, then again with seven. He also wounds Bhīma’s charioteer Viśoka with three arrows and cuts/pierces Bhīma’s banner with a single feathered shaft, signaling dominance and attempting to weaken Bhīma’s battlefield stature.