Shloka 69
द्रोणकर्णयोः निशि संप्रहारः — Night Engagement with Droṇa and Karṇa
अथान्यद् धनुरादाय सूतपुत्र: प्रतापवान् | सायकैरष्टसाहस्नैश्छादयामास पाण्डवम्,तब प्रतापी सूतपुत्रने दूसरा धनुष हाथमें लेकर आठ हजार बाणोंसे पाण्डुपुत्र अर्जुनको ढक दिया
athānyad dhanur ādāya sūtaputraḥ pratāpavān | sāyakair aṣṭasāhasraiś chādayāmāsa pāṇḍavam ||
Sañjaya dit : Alors le vaillant fils du cocher prit un autre arc et, de huit mille flèches, recouvrit entièrement le Pāṇḍava (Arjuna).
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary capability and determination can be deployed within war, raising an implicit ethical tension: martial excellence (vīrya/pratāpa) is admirable, yet its use in a destructive struggle invites reflection on the costs of conflict and the responsibilities tied to power.
Sañjaya describes Karṇa taking up a different bow and unleashing a massive volley—eight thousand arrows—so dense that Arjuna is said to be ‘covered’ by them, emphasizing the ferocity and scale of the duel.