Shloka 3
कर्णार्जुनसमागमः — The Karṇa–Arjuna Confrontation
Cosmic Spectatorship and Vows
ततः क्रुद्धो महाराज द्रोणपुत्र: प्रतापवान् । अर्जुन वासुदेवं च छादयामास सायकै:,महाराज! तब क्रोधमें भरे हुए प्रतापी द्रोणपुत्रने अर्जुन और श्रीकृष्णको अपने बाणोंसे ढक दिया
tataḥ kruddho mahārāja droṇaputraḥ pratāpavān | arjuna-vāsudevaṃ ca chādayāmāsa sāyakaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then, O King, the valiant son of Droṇa, inflamed with anger, showered his arrows so thickly that he seemed to cover both Arjuna and Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa).
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how anger (krodha) can intensify aggression and cloud discernment in conflict, whereas Arjuna’s alignment with Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) evokes steadiness and right orientation amid violence—an implicit contrast between passion-driven action and guided composure.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Droṇa’s son Aśvatthāmā, enraged, unleashes such a dense volley of arrows that Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa appear ‘covered’ by them—signaling a fierce escalation in the battle.