Shloka 11
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 19 — Saṃśaptaka–Trigarta Assault and Aindra-astra Counter
दाक्षिणात्यांश्व भोजांश्व॒ शूरान् संग्रामकर्कशान् । विशस्त्रकवचान् बाणै: कृत्वा चैवाकरोद् व्यसून्,शक्ति, प्रास और तरकसोंसहित घुड़सवारों तथा घोड़ोंको भी यमलोक पहुँचा दिया। पुलिन्द, खस, बाह्लीक, निषाद, आन्ध्र, कुन्तल, दाक्षिणात्य तथा भोजप्रदेशीय रणकर्कश श्र-वीरोंको अपने बाणोंद्वारा अस्त्र-शस्त्र तथा कवचोंसे हीन करके उनके प्राण हर लिये
dākṣiṇātyāṁś ca bhojāṁś ca śūrān saṅgrāma-karkaśān | viśastra-kavacān bāṇaiḥ kṛtvā caivākarod vyasūn ||
Sañjaya said: He struck down the southern warriors and the Bhojas—heroes hardened for battle—first stripping them, with his arrows, of their weapons and armor, and then leaving them lifeless. The verse underscores the grim efficiency of war: valor and regional renown offer no refuge when martial skill is turned toward annihilation.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reality of warfare: even renowned, battle-hardened heroes can be rendered helpless when deprived of arms and protection. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between kṣatriya duty in battle and the tragic cost of violence.
Sañjaya reports that the warrior being described overwhelms southern fighters and the Bhojas, using arrows to disable them—effectively stripping weapons and armor—and then kills them, leaving them lifeless on the battlefield.