Shloka 66
कवच कट जानेपर कर्णको कुपित हुए अर्जुनने चार उत्तम तीखे बाणोंसे पुनः क्षत- विक्षत कर दिया। शत्रुके द्वारा अत्यन्त घायल किये जानेपर कर्ण वात, पित्त और कफ सम्बन्धी ज्वर (त्रिदोष या सन्निपात)-से आतुर हुए मनुष्यकी भाँति अधिक पीड़ाका अनुभव करने लगा ।।
sañjaya uvāca |
mahābhanur-maṇḍala-niḥsṛtaiḥ śitaiḥ kriyā-prayatna-prahitaiḥ balena ca |
tatakṣa karṇaṃ bahubhiḥ śarottamaiḥ bibhida marmasv api cārjunas tvaran ||
Sañjaya said: When the armor had been cut away, Arjuna, angered, wounded Karṇa again with four excellent, keen arrows. Grievously hurt by the foe, Karṇa felt his agony mount, like a man tormented by a sanni-pāta fever born of the three doṣa—wind, bile, and phlegm. Then, from the great sweep of his bow, Arjuna swiftly loosed many razor-sharp, superb shafts, sent with skill, sustained effort, and force, striking Karṇa again and again and piercing even his vital points.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh moral landscape of righteous war: mastery, effort, and strength can decisively shape outcomes, yet victory is inseparable from suffering. It underscores the Kshatriya duty to act with disciplined skill while recognizing the grave human cost borne by even the greatest heroes.
Sanjaya describes Arjuna rapidly releasing many sharp, powerful arrows from his bow. These strike Karna repeatedly, piercing vital points and causing severe pain; the accompanying prose gloss compares Karna’s agony to a man afflicted by a tri-dosha (sannipāta) fever.