Shloka 4
कर्णार्जुनसमागमः — The Karṇa–Arjuna Confrontation
Cosmic Spectatorship and Vows
अवच्छन्नौ ततः कृष्णौ दृष्टवा तत्र महारथा: । विस्मयं परम॑ गत्वा प्रैक्षन्त कुरवस्तदा,उस समय उन दोनोंको बाणोंद्वारा आच्छादित हुआ देख समस्त कौरव महारथी महान् आश्चर्यमें पड़कर उधर ही देखने लगे
avacchannau tataḥ kṛṣṇau dṛṣṭvā tatra mahārathāḥ | vismayaṃ paramaṃ gatvā praikṣanta kuravas tadā ||
Sañjaya said: Then, seeing those two Kṛṣṇas there covered over by volleys of arrows, the Kuru great chariot-warriors were struck with the utmost astonishment and stood staring in that direction.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how outward appearances in war—such as even the foremost heroes being ‘covered’ by arrows—can shock observers and sway morale; it implicitly cautions against judging outcomes by a momentary spectacle and shows how perception and psychological impact function alongside physical force.
Sañjaya reports that the Kaurava elite see Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna (the ‘two Kṛṣṇas’) seemingly overwhelmed by arrow-showers; amazed, they pause and keep looking toward them, reacting to the dramatic turn on the battlefield.