पुनश्च कर्ण त्रिभिरष्टभिश्न द्वाभ्यां चतुर्भिर्देशभिश्व विद्ध्वा
punaś ca karṇa tribhir aṣṭabhiś ca dvābhyāṃ caturbhir deśabhiś ca viddhvā
Sañjaya dijo: Y de nuevo, oh Karṇa—habiéndolo herido en tres puntos, en ocho, con dos, con cuatro y en otros lugares vitales—continuó lacerándolo una y otra vez. El relato subraya la violencia implacable y metódica del campo de batalla, donde la destreza en las armas se vuelca en infligir daño sostenido, no en la contención.
संजय उवाच
The verse is primarily descriptive rather than doctrinal: it highlights how, in war, technical prowess can manifest as repeated, targeted wounding. Ethically, it invites reflection on the grim momentum of battle—where duty and skill operate within a context of escalating harm.
Sañjaya reports that Karṇa (or an opponent in the scene being narrated) is being struck again and again—counted as multiple hits (three, eight, two, four) and in various bodily points—emphasizing the intensity and continuity of the exchange on the battlefield.