Shloka 27
भीमसेन–कर्णयुद्धवर्णनम्
Description of the Bhīmasena–Karṇa Engagement
कर्णो द्वात्रिंशता चैव वृषसेनश्व सप्तभि: । जयद्रथस्त्रिसप्तत्या कृपश्च दशभि: शरै:
karṇo dvātriṃśatā caiva vṛṣasenaś ca saptabhiḥ | jayadrathas tri-saptatyā kṛpaś ca daśabhiḥ śaraiḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Karṇa fut atteint de trente-deux flèches ; Vṛṣasena de sept ; Jayadratha de soixante-treize ; et Kṛpa de dix. Ainsi, dans l’étreinte farouche de la bataille, les plus grands guerriers furent marqués par la force mesurée et implacable des traits : chaque blessure, signe d’une lutte qui s’exacerbe en prouesse et en endurance, au sein de la nuit morale d’une guerre fratricide.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the relentless, quantifiable reality of war: even the greatest names are reduced to bodies bearing wounds. Implicitly, it highlights the tragic cost of adharma-driven conflict—prowess and endurance continue, but the moral landscape is one of escalating harm.
Sañjaya reports battlefield events by listing how many arrows struck key Kaurava-side warriors—Karna, his son Vṛṣasena, Jayadratha, and Kṛpa—indicating a moment of intense exchange where prominent fighters are being heavily targeted and injured.