Shloka 55
तस्मै बाणान् शिलाधौतान प्रसन्नाग्रानजिद्दागान् । प्राहिणोत् सूतपुत्राय त्रिशतं शत्रुतापन:,शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाले महाबली अर्जुन कर्णकी इस फुर्तीको न सह सके। उन्होंने सूतपुत्र कर्णजो शिलापर तेज किये हुए स्वच्छ अग्रभागवाले तीन सौ बाण मारे
sañjaya uvāca |
tasmai bāṇān śilādhautān prasannāgrān ajihmagān |
prāhiṇot sūtaputrāya triśataṁ śatrutāpanaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Unable to endure that display of speed, the foe-scorching Arjuna sent against Karṇa, the charioteer’s son, three hundred arrows—stone-polished, bright-tipped, and flying straight. The verse underscores the relentless escalation of battle-skill, where prowess and resolve drive warriors to answer force with greater force.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya battlefield ethic: when challenged, a warrior responds with disciplined, intensified effort. It also hints at the moral tension of war—skill and determination can magnify destruction even when performed as ‘duty’.
In the midst of the Arjuna–Karṇa encounter, Arjuna (described as ‘scorcher of enemies’) counters Karṇa by releasing a concentrated volley of three hundred straight-flying, stone-polished, bright-tipped arrows.