Shloka 22
ततोअन्यदस्त्रं कौन्तेयो दयितं जातवेदस: । मुमोच कर्णमुद्दिश्य तत् प्रजज्वाल तेजसा,तदनन्तर कुन्तीकुमारने कर्णको लक्ष्य करके दूसरे दिव्यास्त्रका प्रयोग किया जो जातवेदा अग्निका प्रिय अस्त्र था। वह आग्नेयास्त्र अपने तेजसे प्रज्वलित हो उठा
tato 'nyad astraṃ kaunteyo dayitaṃ jātavedasaḥ | mumoca karṇam uddiśya tat prajajvāla tejasā ||
Sañjaya said: Then the son of Kuntī released another weapon—dear to Jātavedas (Agni)—aimed at Karṇa. Kindled by its own blazing energy, that Agneya missile flared up, intensifying the destructive momentum of the duel and underscoring how divine force, once invoked in war, escalates beyond ordinary human restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how invoking divine weaponry in battle magnifies consequences: once higher powers are called upon, the conflict escalates rapidly, raising ethical pressure on warriors to balance kṣatriya duty with restraint and proportionality.
Sañjaya narrates that Arjuna (Kaunteya) targets Karṇa by releasing the Agneya weapon, associated with Agni (Jātavedas). The missile ignites and blazes with its inherent tejas, signaling a heightened, more perilous phase of their duel.