Shloka 36
वध्यतां सायकैस्तीक्ष्णै: कर्णचापवरच्युतै: । कर्णके धनुषसे छूटे हुए तीखे बाणोंद्वारा मारे जानेवाले पांचालोंका महान् आर्तनाद उस महासमरमें गूँजने लगा ।। तेन शब्देन वित्रस्ता पाण्डवानां महाचमू:
sañjaya uvāca |
vadhyatāṃ sāyakais tīkṣṇaiḥ karṇacāpavaracyutaiḥ |
karṇake dhanuṣaś ca chūṭe hue tīkhe bāṇoṃdvārā māre jānevale pāñcālānāṃ mahān ārttanādaḥ sa mahāsamareṃ gūñjane lagā ||
tenā śabdena vitrastā pāṇḍavānāṃ mahācamūḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “Struck down by sharp arrows released from Karṇa’s excellent bow, the Pāñcālas raised a great cry of anguish that echoed across that vast battlefield. Startled by that sound, the mighty host of the Pāṇḍavas was shaken.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the immediate human cost of war: skill and power on the battlefield produce not only tactical advantage but also widespread suffering and fear. It implicitly invites reflection on the ethical weight of martial prowess and the tragic consequences that ripple through entire armies.
Sañjaya reports that Karṇa’s sharp arrows, shot from his superior bow, are cutting down the Pāñcāla warriors. Their loud cries of pain resound across the battlefield, and the Pāṇḍava forces are shaken and alarmed by the terrifying noise.