Shloka 6
कर्णार्जुनयुद्ध-प्रवृत्तिः
Renewal of the Karṇa–Arjuna Engagement at Day’s End
वे नाग शत्रुओंकी सारी सेनाको कुचल डालनेकी इच्छा रखते थे और उन्हें पैरोंकी एड़ी, अँगूठों तथा अंकुशोंकी मारसे बारंबार आगे बढ़नेके लिये प्रेरित किया जा रहा था। यह देखकर ट्रुपदकुमार धृष्टद्युम्नने उनपर नाराच नामक बाणोंकी वर्षा आरम्भ कर दी ।। एकैकं दशभि: षड्भिरष्टाभिरपि भारत । द्विरदानभिविव्याध क्षिप्तैर्गिरिनिभान् शरै:,भरतनन्दन! धृष्टद्युम्नने उन पर्वताकार हुए हाथियोंमेंसे प्रत्येकको अपने चलाये हुए दस-दस, छ:-छ: और आठ-आठ बाणोंसे घायल कर दिया
sañjaya uvāca | ekaikaṃ daśabhiḥ ṣaḍbhir aṣṭābhir api bhārata | dviradān abhivivyādha kṣiptair girinibhān śaraiḥ | bharatanandana dhṛṣṭadyumno 'pi tān nārācavarṣair abhyavarṣata ||
Sañjaya said: O Bharata, with arrows shot in swift succession, Dhrishtadyumna pierced those mountain-like elephants—each one struck with ten, with six, and with eight shafts. Seeing them being driven forward again and again by the goad and by blows to heel and toe, he began a rain of nārāca arrows upon them, seeking to check their crushing advance and the slaughter they threatened to inflict upon the opposing host.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid war, the passage highlights disciplined action: force is applied with precision to stop a destructive surge (the elephant charge) rather than as uncontrolled cruelty. It also implicitly exposes the ethical cost of war—animals and men are driven into violence—while showing the commander’s duty to protect his side through effective, measured tactics.
Elephants, urged forward by their drivers using goads and blows, threaten to crush the opposing army. Dhrishtadyumna responds by showering them with nārāca arrows, wounding each elephant with multiple shafts (ten, six, or eight), aiming to halt or break their advance.