Shloka 336
कर्णवधार्थं धनञ्जयस्य प्रतिज्ञा — Arjuna’s resolve for Karṇa’s defeat
विविधानि च श्त्राणि प्रत्यविध्यन्त सर्वश: । आर्य! बन्धनमुक्त होनेपर संशप्तक योद्धा अर्जुनके रथको लक्ष्य करके बाणों तथा शस्त्रसमूहोंकी वर्षा करने लगे तथा उनके नाना प्रकारके अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंकी सब ओरसे काटने लगे
vividhāni ca śastrāṇi pratyavidhyanta sarvaśaḥ | ārya! bandhanamuktaḥ san saṁśaptaka-yoddhā arjunasya rathaṁ lakṣyaṁ kṛtvā bāṇaiḥ śastra-samūhaiś ca varṣaṁ prāvartayan, teṣāṁ nānā-vidhānām astra-śastrāṇāṁ ca sarvataḥ chedanaṁ cakruḥ |
Sañjaya said: “Weapons of many kinds were countered and struck down on every side. O noble one, once freed from their bonds, the Saṁśaptaka warriors fixed Arjuna’s chariot as their target and poured down a storm of arrows and masses of weapons; and they kept cutting down, from all directions, the diverse missiles and arms that came against them.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the ethical tension of war: fierce resolve and vowed commitment (as with the Saṁśaptakas) can produce extraordinary courage and coordination, yet it also intensifies violence. It implicitly contrasts disciplined martial duty with the destructive momentum that vows and rivalry can unleash.
After being released from restraint, the Saṁśaptaka fighters concentrate their attack on Arjuna’s chariot, unleashing a heavy barrage of arrows and weapons. The scene emphasizes rapid countering and cutting down of incoming missiles from all directions, portraying a highly technical exchange of astra and śastra.