Shloka 14
अर्जुनस्य द्रोणिप्रतिघातः कर्णोपसर्पणं च
Arjuna Checks Droṇaputra; Karṇa Advances
महाराज! इस प्रकार समरांगणमें अलौकिक कर्म करनेवाले कर्णको पांचाल रथियोंने चारों ओरसे घेर लिया ।।
tataḥ sandhāya viśikhān pañca bhārata duḥsahān | pañcālān avadhīt pañca karṇo vaikartano vṛṣaḥ ||
Sanjaya said: Then Karna—Vaikartana, the mighty bull among warriors—fitting five irresistible arrows to his bow, struck down five Panchala fighters. Thus, amid the press of battle where heroes were being ringed in on all sides, Karna’s extraordinary martial prowess manifested as swift, decisive killing, underscoring the grim ethical tension of kṣatriya-duty: glory and efficiency in war achieved through the taking of life.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh moral tension within kṣatriya-dharma: excellence in battle is praised as heroic strength, yet it is realized through lethal action. It invites reflection on how duty, reputation, and the demands of war can normalize violence even when narrated as ‘extraordinary deeds’.
In the Karna Parva battle scene, Karna is surrounded by Panchala chariot-warriors. He then nocks and aims five formidable arrows and kills five Panchala fighters in quick succession, demonstrating his dominance in that moment of the fight.