Shloka 44
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena
धृष्टय्युम्नं हि विरथं हताश्चं छिन्नकार्मुकम् । शरैश्व बहुधा विद्धमस्त्रैश्न शकलीकृतम्
dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ hi virathaṃ hatāśvaṃ chinnakārmukam | śaraiś ca bahudhā viddham astraiś ca śakalīkṛtam ||
Sañjaya said: “Indeed, Dhṛṣṭadyumna was left without his chariot, his horses slain, his bow cut down; pierced in many places by arrows and shattered by weapon-strikes.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the precariousness of martial fortune: even a foremost warrior can be suddenly deprived of chariot, horses, and bow. Ethically, it points to the harsh reality of kṣatriya warfare—valor is measured by steadiness amid loss and injury, while the narrative invites reflection on the cost of violence.
Sañjaya reports that Dhṛṣṭadyumna has been overwhelmed in combat—his chariot situation has collapsed (he is ‘without chariot’), his horses are killed, his bow is cut, and he is repeatedly pierced by arrows and battered by weapons.