Shloka 526
नन््यमज्जन्त महाराज कड़कबर्हिणवासस: । महाराज! कंक और मयूरके पंखवाले वे भयंकर नाराच महामनस्वी पाण्बुपुत्र भीमसेनका कवच छेदकर उनके शरीरमें डूब गये
nanyamajjan mahārāja kaṅkabārhiṇavāsasaḥ | mahārāja! kaṅka-mayūra-pakṣavanto te bhayaṅkarā nārācā mahāmanasvī pāṇḍuputra-bhīmasenasya kavacaṃ chittvā tasya śarīre nimagnāḥ ||
Sanjaya said: O King, those dreadful nārāca arrows, fletched with vulture and peacock feathers, did not stop short. Having pierced and split the armor of the high-souled Bhīmasena, son of Pāṇḍu, they sank deep into his body.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the harsh impartiality of battle: strength and status do not guarantee safety. When defenses (armor, preparedness) fail, even a great warrior becomes vulnerable—inviting reflection on the limits of bodily power and the grave consequences inherent in kṣatriya warfare.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that fearsome, feather-fletched nārāca arrows pierce Bhīma’s armor and lodge in his body, indicating a moment where Bhīma is struck severely amid the fighting in Karṇa Parva.