Shloka 29
Somadatta’s Kṣātra-Dharma Accusation; Night Combat, Māyā, and the Fall of Ghaṭotkaca
Droṇa-parva, Adhyāya 131
सुस्राव चास्य रुधिरं विद्धस्य परमेषुभि: । धातुप्रस्यन्दिन: शैलादू यथा गैरिकधातव:,उन उत्तम बाणोंसे बिंधे हुए कर्णकी छातीसे बहुत रक्त गिरने लगा, मानो धातुकी धाराएँ बहानेवाले पर्वतसे गैरिक धातु (गेरु) प्रवाहित हो रहा हो
susrāva cāsya rudhiraṁ viddhasya parameṣubhiḥ | dhātu-prasyandinaḥ śailād yathā gairika-dhātavaḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : De lui—percé par les plus excellentes flèches—le sang se mit à couler en abondance. C’était comme si de l’ocre rouge s’écoulait d’une montagne qui suinte sans cesse des veines de minerai.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the stark truth of kṣatriya warfare: prowess and status do not shield anyone from bodily fragility. Through a vivid simile, it points to the ethical gravity of battle—life is expended in torrents, and victory is purchased with real suffering.
Sañjaya describes Karṇa after being struck by excellent arrows: blood pours from his chest. The flow is compared to red mineral ore streaming from a mountain that exudes metallic veins.