Shloka 35
कर्णपर्व — पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः | Karṇa Parva, Chapter 15: Pāṇḍya’s Advance and Aśvatthāmā’s Counterstroke
कर्णाभ्यां शिरसोड्ड्रेभ्यो लोमवर्मभ्य एव च | रथध्वजेभ्यश्व शरा निष्पेतुर्ब्रह्यवादिन:
karṇābhyāṁ śiraso ḍḍrebhyo lomavarmabhya eva ca | rathadhvajebhyaśvaśarā niṣpetur brahmavādinaḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Des oreilles, de la tête, des membres, des poils du corps et de l’armure, et même des chars, des étendards et des chevaux, les flèches semblaient jaillir ; si farouche et si inlassable était la décharge de traits de ceux qui parlaient du savoir sacré.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the paradox of dharma in wartime: even those identified as brahmavādins (learned, Veda-speaking men) can become instruments of immense violence. It invites reflection on how learning and spiritual identity do not automatically prevent destructive action when one is swept into adharma-tinged conflict.
Sañjaya describes an overwhelming volley of arrows, using hyperbolic imagery—arrows seem to fly from bodies, armour, chariots, banners, and horses—conveying the terrifying intensity of the battle and the extraordinary martial display of the combatants.