Shloka 43
(तत् सैन्यं भरतश्रेष्ठ वध्यमानं शितै: शरै: । न जहीौ समर प्राप्य फाल्गुनं शत्रुतापनम् ।। तत्राद्भुतमपश्याम कौरवाणां पराक्रमम् । वध्यमानापि यत् पार्थ न जहुर्भरतर्षभ ।।) भरतश्रेष्ठ! शत्रुओंको तपानेवाले अर्जुनको सामने पाकर तीखे बाणोंसे मारी जाती हुई आपकी उस सेनाने युद्ध नहीं छोड़ा। भरतभूषण! वहाँ हमलोगोंने कौरवयोद्धाओंका यह अद्भुत पराक्रम देखा कि वे मारे जानेपर भी अर्जुनको छोड़ नहीं रहे थे। त॑ दृष्टवा कुरवस्तत्र विक्रान्तं सव्यसाचिनम् । निराशा: समपद्यन्त सर्वे कर्णस्य जीविते,सव्यसाची अर्जुनको इस प्रकार पराक्रम प्रकट करते देख समस्त कौरव-सैनिक कर्णके जीवनसे निराश हो गये
sañjaya uvāca |
tat sainyaṃ bharataśreṣṭha vadhyamānaṃ śitaiḥ śaraiḥ |
na jahau samaraṃ prāpya phālgunaṃ śatrutāpanam ||
tatrādbhūtam apaśyāma kauravāṇāṃ parākramam |
vadhyamānā api yat pārtha na jahur bharatarṣabha ||
taṃ dṛṣṭvā kuravas tatra vikrāntaṃ savyasācinam |
nirāśāḥ samapadyanta sarve karṇasya jīvite ||
Sañjaya said: O best of the Bharatas, though your army was being cut down by sharp arrows, it did not abandon the battle when it came face to face with Phālguna (Arjuna), the scorcher of foes. There we witnessed an astonishing valor among the Kauravas: even while being slain, they would not give up their stand against Pārtha. Seeing Savyasācin (Arjuna) displaying such prowess there, all the Kurus fell into despair regarding Karṇa’s very survival.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of steadfastness: even under lethal pressure, warriors hold their ground. Ethically, it portrays how courage and loyalty can persist amid near-certain defeat, while also showing the psychological turning point where morale collapses when a champion’s survival (Karṇa’s) seems doubtful.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava army, though pierced by Arjuna’s sharp arrows, did not retreat. Their resistance is described as ‘astonishing valor.’ Yet Arjuna’s overwhelming prowess makes the Kuru forces lose hope that Karṇa will even remain alive.