Shloka 98
नवमीं दशमीं चास्य तथा चैकादशीं वृष: । ज्याशतं शतसंधान: स कर्णो नावबुध्यते
navamīṁ daśamīṁ cāsya tathā caikādaśīṁ vṛṣaḥ | jyāśataṁ śatasandhānaḥ sa karṇo nāvabudhyate ||
Sañjaya said: Even after cutting the ninth, the tenth, and the eleventh bowstring of his opponent, Karṇa—mighty as a bull and famed for joining a hundred arrows in swift succession—still did not realize that Arjuna’s bow was strung with a hundred strings. Thus was it shown that extraordinary preparedness, upheld by divine favor, can make even a master’s efforts fruitless, and that pride in one’s own prowess may falter before a higher, well-supported discipline.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Superior preparation and higher support can neutralize even exceptional talent; fixation on one’s own prowess may blind a warrior to the opponent’s deeper resources and resilience.
During the battle, Karṇa repeatedly severs Arjuna’s bowstrings—up to the ninth, tenth, and eleventh—yet Arjuna continues fighting without apparent loss, because his bow is effectively strung with many strings; Karṇa fails to notice this hidden advantage.