Shloka 41
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय १४० (कृष्णेन कर्णं प्रति पाण्डवबल-वैशिष्ट्यप्रदर्शनम्) / Udyoga Parva, Chapter 140
Krishna’s appraisal of Pandava advantage and war portents
इषवोत्र परिस्तोमा मुक्ता गाण्डीवधन्चना । महारथप्रयुक्ताश्च द्रोणद्रौणिप्रचोदिता:
iṣavo 'tra paristomā muktā gāṇḍīvadhanvanā | mahāratha-prayuktāś ca droṇa-drauṇi-pracoditāḥ ||
Karna said: “Here, volleys of arrows—released in dense, encircling patterns—have been shot from the Gāṇḍīva-bearer (Arjuna). They are the missiles of a great chariot-warrior, and they are being driven on and intensified under the urging of Droṇa and Droṇa’s son (Aśvatthāman).”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that extraordinary power and technique in war are ethically charged: when great skill is urged on by authoritative figures, it can either serve dharma or intensify harm. It invites reflection on accountability—of the warrior who acts, and of the mentors who incite.
Karna describes the battlefield moment: Arjuna, wielding the Gāṇḍīva, releases dense, surrounding volleys of arrows. Karna notes these are the actions of a mahāratha and says the assault is being spurred on by Droṇa and Aśvatthāman.