Shloka 31
अध्याय ६० — कर्णस्य पाञ्चाल-सोमक-निग्रहः
Karna’s Suppression of the Panchala–Somaka Forces
अथान्यद् धनुरादाय पुत्रस्ते प्रहसन्निव । धृष्टद्युम्नं शरब्रातै: समन्तात् पर्यवारयत्
athānyad dhanur ādāya putras te prahasan niva | dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ śaravrātaiḥ samantāt paryavārayat ||
Sañjaya said: Then your son, taking up another bow and seeming to smile, hemmed in Dhṛṣṭadyumna on every side with volleys of arrows.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the battlefield ethic of kṣatriya-dharma: steadfast exertion and tactical resolve under pressure. The ‘as if smiling’ detail underscores confidence (or pride) amid violence, reminding readers how inner disposition can intensify conflict even when actions are framed as duty.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duryodhana takes up a different bow and, with concentrated volleys of arrows, surrounds and constrains Dhṛṣṭadyumna from all directions, attempting to check his movement and dominate the engagement.