Shloka 12
कर्णश्न॒ दशभिर्बाणै: पुत्रश्न तव सप्तभि: । दशभिर्वषसेनश्व॒ सौबलश्लापि सप्तभि:
Karṇaś ca daśabhir bāṇaiḥ putraś ca tava saptabhiḥ | daśabhir Vṛṣasenaś ca Saubalaś cāpi saptabhiḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Karṇa fut frappé de dix flèches, et ton fils de sept. Vṛṣasena aussi fut transpercé de dix, et le Saubala de sept. Ainsi la fureur du combat se mesure au compte des traits : dans la guerre, prouesse et destin se dénombrent par les blessures plutôt que par les paroles.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the stark ethic of battlefield life: actions are immediately answered by consequences. Martial skill, duty, and destiny manifest concretely as wounds; the narrative invites reflection on how quickly power and pride are reduced to suffering in war.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the ongoing exchange of missiles: Karṇa and Vṛṣasena are hit by ten arrows each, while Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son and the Saubala are hit by seven each—an update emphasizing the intensity and precision of the combat.