Shloka 52
तदस्य हत्वा विरराज कर्णो मुक्त्वा शरान् मेघ इवाम्बुधारा: । समीक्ष्य कर्णेन किरीटिनस्तु तथा55जिमध्ये निहतं तदस्त्रम्
tadasya hatvā virarāja karṇo muktvā śarān megha ivāmbudhārāḥ | samīkṣya karṇena kirīṭinastu tathā yuddhamadhye nihataṃ tad astram ||
Dijo Sañjaya: Tras abatir aquel (ardid/arma) suyo, Karṇa resplandeció, soltando flechas como una nube que derrama cortinas de lluvia. Al ver que su propio proyectil había sido destruido por Karṇa en medio de la batalla, el diademado Arjuna quedó frente a la proeza de Karṇa. La escena subraya cómo el brillo marcial y la resolución pueden desbaratar incluso las estratagemas más formidables, mientras los guerreros siguen atados a sus deberes elegidos bajo el peso moral de una guerra fratricida.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a morally fraught war, warriors act within the constraints of their chosen duty (kṣatriya-dharma). The verse highlights steadfast effort and skill: a powerful opponent’s weapon can be neutralized through resolve and mastery, reminding readers that outcomes hinge on both capability and the relentless momentum of action.
Karna destroys a weapon/missile deployed by Arjuna and then unleashes a dense volley of arrows, compared to rain from a cloud. Arjuna, identified as the diademed Kirīṭin, sees his weapon neutralized in the thick of battle, marking a moment of Karna’s ascendancy in the duel.