Shloka 14
कर्णार्जुनसमागमः — The Karṇa–Arjuna Confrontation
Cosmic Spectatorship and Vows
पार्थेन समरे राजन् कृतो घोरो जनक्षय: । विहता रथिन: पेतु: पार्थचापच्युतै: शरै:
sañjaya uvāca | pārthena samare rājan kṛto ghoro janakṣayaḥ | vihatā rathinaḥ petuḥ pārthacāpacyutaiḥ śaraiḥ ||
Sañjaya dijo: «Oh rey, en la batalla Pārtha (Arjuna) obró una terrible destrucción de hombres. Heridos por las flechas soltadas del arco de Pārtha, muchos guerreros de carro cayeron al suelo. La escena subraya el sombrío costo ético de la guerra: aun cuando se luche por una causa, el campo de batalla se vuelve un lugar donde la vida humana se extingue con rapidez y sin tregua».
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the stark moral reality of war: even when a warrior acts within kṣatriya duty, the immediate outcome is ghastly human loss (janakṣaya). It invites reflection on the ethical weight borne by rulers and warriors who choose or sustain conflict.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna (Pārtha) is devastating the battlefield—his arrows, shot from his bow, are striking down and felling many chariot-warriors.