Shloka 32
ततः शर: सो5भ्यहनत् किरीटं तस्येन्द्रदत्तं सुदृढं च धीमतः । अथार्जुनस्योत्तमगात्रभूषणं धरावियद्द्योसलिलेषु विश्रुतम्
tataḥ śaraḥ so ’bhyahanat kirīṭaṃ tasyendradattaṃ sudṛḍhaṃ ca dhīmataḥ | athārjunas yottamagātrabhūṣaṇaṃ dharāviyaddyo-salileṣu viśrutam ||
Sañjaya said: Then that arrow struck the crown of the wise Arjuna—the very firm diadem bestowed by Indra. That crown, Arjuna’s finest adornment, was renowned on earth, in the sky, and among the celestial waters. Because the chariot had dipped low, Karṇa’s serpent-mouthed shaft met not Arjuna’s head, but that famous crown—showing how fortune, skill, and circumstance together decide life and death in war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a contest of great warriors, outcomes hinge not only on valor and skill but also on circumstance and destiny; divine protections and small shifts (like a chariot’s lowering) can avert death, reminding one to act with resolve while recognizing forces beyond control.
Sañjaya describes Karṇa’s shot: a powerful arrow strikes Arjuna’s Indra-given crown. Because the chariot had sunk/been lowered, the missile hits the diadem rather than Arjuna’s head, emphasizing the narrow margin between life and death in the battle.