Shloka 20
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 54 — Missile-Exchange and Tactical Redirection
Arjuna, Aśvatthāman, Karṇa
स पाण्डवं द्वादशभि: पृषत्कै- वैंकर्तन: शीघ्रमथो जघान । विव्याध गात्रेषु हयांश्व सर्वान् विराटपुत्रं च करे निजघ्ने,सूर्यपुत्र कर्णने बड़ी शीघ्रताके साथ पाण्डुनन्दन अर्जुनको बारह बाणोंसे घायल किया, उनके घोड़ोंके शरीर छेदकर छलनी कर दिये और विराटपुत्र उत्तरके हाथमें भी भारी चोट पहुँचायी
sa pāṇḍavaṃ dvādaśabhiḥ pṛṣatkaiḥ vaikarṭanaḥ śīghram atho jaghāna | vivyādha gātreṣu hayāṃś ca sarvān virāṭaputraṃ ca kare nijaghne ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Vaikarṭana (Karna), acting with swift martial resolve, struck the Pāṇḍava Arjuna with twelve arrows. He then pierced all the horses in their limbs, and he also dealt a heavy blow to Virāṭa’s son Uttara on the hand. The scene underscores the harsh ethics of battlefield skill—where prowess and speed decide outcomes, even as the larger conflict tests restraint, duty, and the protection of allies.
वैशम्पायन उवाच