Shloka 4
रामादुपात्तेन महामहिम्ना ह्याथर्वणेनारिविनाशनेन । तदर्जुनास्त्रं व्यधमद् दहन्तं कर्णस्तु बाणैर्निशितैर्महात्मा
sañjaya uvāca |
rāmādupāttena mahāmahimnā hyātharvaṇenārivināśanena |
tadarjunāstraṃ vyadhamad dahantaṃ karṇastu bāṇair niśitair mahātmā mahāmanasvī ||
Sanjaya said: Then the high-souled, great-minded Karna, employing the Atharvana weapon of immense potency—received from Rama (Parashurama) and famed for destroying foes—shattered Arjuna’s blazing missile that was burning the Kaurava host, striking it down with his sharp arrows.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that power in battle is not only personal valor but also disciplined knowledge received through legitimate transmission (guru-lineage). Ethically, it shows how warfare tends to intensify: even a devastating weapon is met with an equally formidable counter, reminding readers of the tragic momentum of conflict.
Arjuna releases a blazing weapon that is burning the Kaurava forces. Karna counters it by employing the Atharvaṇa weapon he learned from Paraśurāma, and with sharp arrows he breaks/neutralizes Arjuna’s missile.