Shloka 63
Cakravyūha-saṃkalpaḥ, Saṃśaptaka-āhvānaṃ, Saubhadra-vikrīḍitam
Drona Parva, Adhyāya 32
प्रमुखे सूतपुत्रस्य सोदर्या निहतास्त्रय: । इस प्रकार धुृतराष्ट्रपुत्रोंके देखते-देखते एकमात्र अर्जुनने युद्धके मुहानेपर सूतपुत्र कर्णके तीन भाइयोंका वध कर डाला ।। ६२ $ ।। ततो भीम: समुत्पत्य स्वरथाद् वैनतेयवत्
pramukhe sūtaputrasya sodaryā nihatās trayaḥ | tato bhīmaḥ samutpatya svarathād vainateyavat ||
Sañjaya said: Right before the eyes of Karṇa, the charioteer’s son, his three full brothers were slain. Thus, as Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons looked on, Arjuna alone cut down Karṇa’s three brothers at the very forefront of the battle. Then Bhīma sprang up from his own chariot, swift and fierce like Vainateya (Garuḍa).
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the harsh ethical terrain of war: prowess and duty (kṣatriya-dharma) drive warriors to decisive, even devastating acts, while the narrative also highlights the human cost—slaying kin before a brother’s eyes—showing how victory in battle often carries moral and emotional gravity.
Sañjaya reports that Arjuna, in the thick of battle, kills three of Karṇa’s full brothers in Karṇa’s very presence, as the Kauravas watch. Immediately after, Bhīma leaps up from his chariot with the speed and force likened to Garuḍa, signaling the next surge of action.