Shloka 41
बाहूंश्व वीरो वीराणां चिच्छेद लघु चेषुभि: । महाराज! वीर कर्णने बाणोंद्वारा पाण्डव-पक्षके वीरोंके मस्तक, कुण्डलसहित कान तथा भुजाएँ शीघ्रता-पूर्वक काट डालीं || ४० ई || हस्तिदन्तत्सरून् खड्गान् ध्वजान् शक्ती्हयान् गजान्
sañjaya uvāca |
bāhūṃś ca vīro vīrāṇāṃ ciccheda laghu ceṣubhiḥ |
mahārāja! vīraḥ karṇaḥ bāṇair pāṇḍava-pakṣasya vīrāṇāṃ mastakāni kuṇḍala-sahitāni karṇāṃś ca bāhūṃś ca śīghratayā ciccheda |
hastidanta-tarūn khaḍgān dhvajān śaktīn hayān gajān |
Sañjaya said: “O King, that hero Karna swiftly severed, with his light and rapid arrows, the arms of the warriors. By his shafts he quickly cut down the heads of the Pandava-side fighters, along with their ears and earrings, and hewed off their arms. He also struck down elephant-tusk standards, sword-bearers, banners, spears, horses, and elephants—turning the field into a scene of relentless slaughter.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the grim reality of kṣatriya warfare: prowess and speed in combat are praised, yet the narration also implicitly exposes the ethical tension of dharma in war—valor is celebrated even as the human cost is starkly displayed.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Karna is devastating the Pandava-side forces, swiftly cutting down warriors—severing arms and heads—and striking down battlefield assets such as banners, weapons, horses, and elephants.