Shloka 47
अनेन सत्येन निहन्त्वयं शर: सुसंहित: कर्णमरिं ममोर्जितम् । इत्यूचिवांस्तं प्रमुमोच बाणं धनंजय: कर्णवधाय घोरम्
anena satyena nihantv ayaṁ śaraḥ susaṁhitaḥ karṇam ariṁ mamorjitam | ity ūcivāṁs taṁ pramumoca bāṇaṁ dhanaṁjayaḥ karṇavadhāya ghoram ||
Sañjaya said: “By the power of this truth, may this well-fixed arrow strike down Karṇa—my mighty foe.” Having spoken thus, Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) released that dreadful shaft for the slaying of Karṇa. The verse frames the killing not as mere rage but as an act sealed by a solemn assertion of satya, invoking the moral force of truth amid the brutal necessities of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights satya as a moral and spiritual force: a warrior’s action is presented as being sealed by a truthful resolve. Even in warfare, the text underscores that intention and adherence to truth are ethically weighty, shaping how violence is framed within dharma.
Sañjaya narrates that Arjuna, declaring a truth-formula, releases a carefully aimed and fearsome arrow with the explicit purpose of killing Karṇa, his powerful enemy. It marks the decisive moment of Karṇa’s impending death.