Shloka 23
अध्याय २९: कर्णस्य शल्यं प्रति शापस्मरणं च युद्धनिश्चयः | Chapter 29: Karṇa recalls curses to Śalya and declares resolve for battle
अथ सात्यकिमुत्सृज्य त्वरन् कर्णोडर्जुन त्रिभि: | विद्ध्वा विव्याध विंशत्या कृष्णं पार्थ पुन: पुन:
atha sātyakim utsṛjya tvaran karṇo 'rjunaṃ tribhiḥ | viddhvā vivyādha viṃśatyā kṛṣṇaṃ pārthaḥ punaḥ punaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then Karṇa, leaving Sātyaki aside and acting with haste, pierced Arjuna with three arrows. Thereafter he struck Kṛṣṇa with twenty arrows as well. Thus, in the fury of battle, he repeatedly wounded both charioteer and warrior—an image of how war’s momentum drives even the greatest heroes into relentless violence, where skill and resolve eclipse gentler restraints.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the relentless escalation of battlefield duty (kṣatriya-dharma): once combat is joined, warriors press advantage without pause. It also underscores the ethical tension of war—extraordinary prowess can become repeated harm, showing how conflict narrows attention to victory rather than compassion.
Karṇa stops engaging Sātyaki, swiftly turns his attack toward Arjuna, pierces him with three arrows, and then strikes Kṛṣṇa with twenty arrows. Sañjaya describes Karṇa repeatedly wounding both, emphasizing the intensity of this phase of the chariot-battle.