Shloka 1
Chapter 12: Arjuna’s suppression of the Saṃśaptakas and duel with Aśvatthāmā
Drauṇi
अफड--रू- द्वादशोड् ध्याय: दोनों सेनाओंका ला और भीमसेनके द्वारा क्षेम वध संजय उवाच ते सेने<न्योन्यमासाद्य प्रह्ृष्टाश्चनरद्धिपे । बृहत्यौ सम्प्रजहाते देवासुरसमप्र भे
sañjaya uvāca | tataḥ karṇo maheṣvāsaḥ pāṇḍavānām anīkinīm | jaghāna samare śūraḥ śaraiḥ saṃnataparvabhiḥ ||
Dijo Sañjaya: Oh rey, después de eso Karna—gran arquero y héroe en la batalla—comenzó a abatir al ejército de los Pāṇḍava en el campo, cubriéndolo con una lluvia de flechas de nudos curvados (bien dirigidas y mortíferas).
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse does not state a moral maxim directly; it highlights how quickly war escalates under a powerful warrior. Ethically, it invites reflection on the tragic cost of kshatriya valor when directed into a kin-war, where skill and duty can become instruments of widespread destruction.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Karna, a formidable archer, begins a fierce assault on the Pandava forces, striking them down with expertly made and effectively aimed arrows.