Shloka 68
ततोड्'र्जुन: कर्णमवक्रगैर्नवै: सुवर्णपुड्खै: सुदृढैरयस्मयै: । यमाग्निदण्डप्रतिमै: स्तनान्तरे पराभिनत् क्रौज्चमिवाद्रिमग्निज:
tato 'rjunaḥ karṇam avakragair navaiḥ suvarṇapuṅkhaiḥ sudṛḍhair ayasmayaiḥ | yamāgnidaṇḍapratimaiḥ stanāntare parābhinat krauñcam ivādrim agnijaḥ ||
Then Arjuna struck Karṇa in the chest with nine arrows that flew in a curved course—iron-shafted, firmly wrought, and fitted with golden feathers—terrible like the staffs of Yama and of fire. He pierced him as Kārttikeya, the Fire-born, once split the Krauñca mountain.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores kṣatriya-dharma in its starkest form: in a righteous war, a warrior must act decisively according to role and moment, even when the act is severe. The epic simile (splitting Krauñca) frames martial action as part of a larger moral-cosmic order where prowess, destiny, and consequence interlock.
Sañjaya reports that Arjuna shoots Karṇa with nine powerful, iron arrows with golden fletchings, striking and piercing his chest. The impact is compared to Kārttikeya splitting the Krauñca mountain, emphasizing the force and inevitability of the blow.