Shloka 41
कर्णपर्व — चतुर्दशोऽध्यायः
Arjuna’s Suppression of the Saṃśaptakas; Kṛṣṇa’s Strategic Admonition; Battlefield Inventory
तौ सायकौ महाराज द्योतमानौ चमूमुखे । आजलश्नतुः समासाद्य वज़वेगौ दुरासदौ,राजेन्द्र! वे दोनों बाण सेनाके मुहानेपर चमक उठे। उन दोनोंका वेग वज़्के समान था। उन दुर्जय बाणोंने दोनोंके पास पहुँचकर उन्हें घायल कर दिया
tau sāyakau mahārāja dyotamānau camūmukhe | ājaghnatuḥ samāsādya vajravegau durāsadau ||
Sañjaya said: O King, those two arrows blazed at the very front of the army. Swift as a thunderbolt and hard to withstand, they reached their targets and struck them, wounding them in the press of battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the irresistible momentum of martial action: in the chaos of battle, power and precision can swiftly inflict harm. Implicitly, it reminds the listener that warfare, even when framed as kṣatriya duty, carries immediate human consequences—wounding and suffering—thus inviting reflection on restraint and responsibility.
Sañjaya describes two arrows that shine at the army’s forefront; moving with thunderbolt-like speed and being difficult to counter, they reach their targets and strike, causing wounds. The focus is on the dramatic impact and unstoppable force of the missiles in the battle-line.