Shloka 27
जैसे गरुड़से डरे हुए सर्प धरती छेदकर उसके भीतर घुस जाते हैं, उसी प्रकार वे तीखे अस्त्र उपर्युक्त वस्तुओंको विदीर्ण कर शीघ्र ही उनके भीतर धँस गये। कर्णके सारे अंग बाणोंसे भर गये। सम्पूर्ण शरीर रक्तसे नहा उठा। इससे उसके नेत्र उस समय क्रोधसे घूमने लगे ।। दृढ्ज्यमानाम्य समुद्रघोषं प्रादुश्षक्रे भार्गवास्त्रं महात्मा । महेन्द्रशस्त्राभिमुखान् विमुक्तां- श्छित्त्वा कर्ण: पाण्डवस्येषुसंघान्,उस महामनस्वी वीरने अपने धनुषको जिसकी प्रत्यंचा सुदृढ़ थी, झुकाकर समुद्रके समान गम्भीर गर्जना करनेवाले भार्गवास्त्रको प्रकट किया और अर्जुनके महेन्द्रास्त्रसे प्रकट हुए बाणसमूहोंके टुकड़े-टुकड़े करके अपने अस्त्रसे उनके अस्त्रको दबाकर युद्धस्थलमें रथों, हाथियों और पैदलसैनिकोंका संहार कर डाला। अमर्षशील कर्ण उस महासमरमें भार्गवास्त्रके प्रतापसे देवराज इन्द्रके समान पराक्रम प्रकट कर रहा था
yathā garuḍāt trastāḥ sarpā bhūmiṃ bhittvā tasyāṃ praviśanti, tathā te tīkṣṇā astrāṇi pūrvoktāni vastūni vidārya kṣipram eva teṣāṃ madhye nimagnāḥ. karṇasya sarvāṅgāni bāṇaiḥ paripūrṇāni babhūvuḥ; sarvaṃ śarīraṃ rudhireṇa snātaṃ babhūva; tena tasya netre tadā krodhāt parivavṛtatuḥ. dṛḍhajyamānaṃ samudraghoṣaṃ prāduścakre bhārgavāstraṃ mahātmā; mahendraśastrābhimukhān vimuktān chittvā karṇaḥ pāṇḍavasya iṣusaṅghān, svāstreṇa teṣām astrāṇi nigṛhya raṇe rathān gajān padātīṃś ca jaghāna. amarṣaśīlaḥ karṇaḥ tasmin mahāsamare bhārgavāstraprabhāvena devendra iva parākramaṃ pradarśayāmāsa.
Sañjaya said: As serpents, terrified of Garuḍa, split the earth and vanish into its depths, so those keen missiles tore through the defenses described earlier and quickly sank in. Karṇa’s limbs were riddled with arrows; his whole body was bathed in blood, and his eyes rolled with wrath. Then that great warrior, bracing his firmly strung bow and letting out a roar deep as the ocean, manifested the Bhārgava weapon. Cutting to pieces the volleys released against him from Arjuna’s Mahendra-weapon, Karṇa suppressed the enemy missiles with his own and, on the battlefield, wrought slaughter among chariots, elephants, and foot-soldiers. In that vast clash, the unyielding Karṇa displayed prowess like Indra himself through the might of the Bhārgava weapon.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the kṣatriya battlefield ethic of steadfastness under injury and the peril of wrath: Karṇa, though pierced and bloodied, does not retreat but intensifies his effort through a formidable astra. It implicitly warns that extraordinary power (divine weapons) amplifies both valor and destruction, making self-mastery as crucial as martial skill.
Arrows strike Karṇa so densely that he is described as riddled and drenched in blood; anger flares in him. He then manifests the Bhārgava weapon, counters and shatters the arrow-volleys produced by Arjuna’s Mahendra-weapon, suppresses the opposing missiles, and causes heavy slaughter among chariots, elephants, and infantry—appearing Indra-like in prowess.