Shloka 10
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena
ते वर्म हेमविकृतं भित्त्वा तस्य महात्मन: । शोणिताक्ता व्यराजन्त शक्रगोपा इवानघ,निष्पाप नरेश! वे बाण महामना धृष्टद्युम्नके सुवर्णनिर्मित कवचको छेदकर उनके रक्तसे रंजित हो इन्द्रगोप (वीरबहूटी) नामक कीड़ोंके समान सुशोभित होने लगे
te varma hemavikṛtaṁ bhittvā tasya mahātmanaḥ | śoṇitāktā vyarājanta śakragopā ivānagha niṣpāpa nareśa |
Sañjaya said: Having pierced the golden, finely wrought armour of that great-souled warrior, those arrows—smeared with blood—shone forth like indragopa insects. O blameless king!
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the paradox of war: splendour and skill coexist with suffering. Even the ‘great-souled’ are not immune to injury; martial excellence and destiny can overcome the finest protections, reminding the listener of the cost inherent in kṣatriya warfare.
Sañjaya describes arrows that have pierced a noble warrior’s golden armour (contextually identified as Dhṛṣṭadyumna). Stained with blood, the arrows gleam red, compared to indragopa insects, emphasizing both the vividness and brutality of the battlefield.