Shloka 43
स सायक: कर्णभुजप्रसृष्टो हुताशनार्कप्रतिमो महाई: । महोरग: कृतवैरो<र्जुनेन किरीटमाहत्य ततो व्यतीयात्
sa sāyakaḥ karṇabhujaprasṛṣṭo hutāśanārkapratimo mahāiḥ | mahoragaḥ kṛtavairo 'rjunena kirīṭam āhatya tato vyatīyāt ||
Sañjaya said: The arrow released from Karṇa’s arm—blazing like fire and the sun, exceedingly precious—seemed like a great serpent bearing enmity toward Arjuna. Striking Arjuna’s diadem, it then veered away and passed on. The moment underscores how, amid the fury of war, even a near-fatal stroke may be turned aside, hinting at the fragile boundary between prowess and fate.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the precariousness of life in battle and the interplay of human effort and destiny: even a supremely powerful, well-aimed weapon may result in a limited outcome, reminding readers that victory is not secured by prowess alone.
Sañjaya describes Karṇa shooting a blazing, precious arrow that is likened to a great serpent hostile to Arjuna; it strikes Arjuna’s crown (kirīṭa) and then passes on rather than killing him.