Shloka 60
तब उस बाणके प्रहारसे क्रोधमें भरे हुए शीघ्रकारी कर्णने लाठीकी चोट खाये हुए महान् सर्पके समान तिलमिलाकर उसी प्रकार उत्तम बाणोंका प्रहार आरम्भ किया, जैसे महाविषैला सर्प अपने उत्तम विषका वमन करता है ।।
tataḥ śara-prahāreṇa krodha-saṃpūrṇaḥ śīghra-kārī karṇo daṇḍa-prahata-mahā-sarpa iva tilyamānaḥ tathā śreṣṭha-śarair abhighātaṃ prārabhata, yathā mahā-viṣaḥ sarpaḥ śreṣṭha-viṣaṃ vamati. janārdanaṃ dvādaśabhiḥ parābhinat navatyā ca śarais tathārjunam; śareṇa ghoreṇa punaś ca pāṇḍavaṃ vidārya karṇo vyanadad jahāsa ca.
Sañjaya said: Struck by that arrow, Karṇa—swift in action and filled with wrath—writhed like a great serpent hit by a staff, and at once began a fierce counter-assault with excellent shafts, as a highly venomous snake disgorges its potent poison. He pierced Janārdana with twelve arrows and Arjuna with ninety-nine; then, once more tearing the Pāṇḍava with a dreadful arrow, Karṇa roared like a lion and laughed.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the battlefield psychology where anger can intensify prowess, yet the warriors operate within kṣatriya-dharma: direct confrontation, demonstrable courage, and pursuit of honor through skill. Implicitly, it contrasts raw wrath with the need for disciplined action, since ungoverned rage can drive escalation and cruelty even while remaining ‘lawful’ within war’s code.
After being struck by an arrow, Karṇa becomes enraged and immediately retaliates. He pierces Kṛṣṇa (Janārdana) with twelve arrows and Arjuna with ninety-nine, then strikes Arjuna again with a terrifying shaft, wounding him severely. Exulting in his momentary advantage, Karṇa roars like a lion and laughs.