Shloka 89
ततोडर्जुन: सप्तदश तिग्मवेगानजिह्मगान् । इन्द्राशनिसमान् घोरानसृजत् पावकोपमान्,तत्पश्चात् अर्जुनने इन्द्रके वज तथा अग्निके समान प्रचण्ड वेगशाली सत्रह घोर बाण कर्णपर छोड़े
sañjaya uvāca | tato 'rjunaḥ saptadaśa tigmavegān ajihmagān | indrāśanisamān ghorān asṛjat pāvakopamān |
Sañjaya said: Then Arjuna released seventeen terrible arrows—straight-flying and of razor-swift force—dreadful like Indra’s thunderbolt and comparable to blazing fire, hurling them against Karṇa in the fury of battle. The scene underscores the uncompromising intensity of righteous warfare, where skill and resolve are tested without hesitation.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in its stark form: in a just war, a warrior must act with unwavering resolve and disciplined skill. The imagery of thunderbolt and fire emphasizes that righteous intent does not remove the severity of action; it demands controlled power directed toward the battle’s lawful objective.
Sañjaya describes Arjuna, in the heat of combat, releasing seventeen straight-flying, extremely swift and fearsome arrows at Karṇa, likening their force to Indra’s thunderbolt and their burning intensity to fire.