Shloka 46
कर्णपर्व — पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः | Karṇa Parva, Chapter 15: Pāṇḍya’s Advance and Aśvatthāmā’s Counterstroke
शरैरविशकलीकुर्वन्नमित्रानभ्यवीवृषत् । स्वलंकृतानश्वसादीन् पत्ती क्षाहन् धनंजय:
sañjaya uvāca | śarair aviśakalīkurvann amitrān abhyavīvṛṣat | suvalaṅkṛtān aśvasādīn pattīṃś cāhan dhanañjayaḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Dhananjaya (Arjuna), faisant pleuvoir ses flèches, mit en lambeaux les rangs ennemis. Il abattit les cavaliers parés et les fantassins; et ses traits brisèrent les chars richement ornés—tirés par des chevaux bien dressés et portés par des auriges ivres de guerre—si bien qu’ils tombèrent comme les débris d’une cité céleste mise à sac.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim reality of kṣatriya-duty in war: disciplined skill and resolve can become overwhelming force. Ethically, it points to the tension between martial excellence and the destructive consequences of battle undertaken as a perceived obligation.
Sanjaya describes Arjuna on the battlefield showering arrows, shattering enemy formations and breaking apart splendid chariots, while also cutting down decorated horsemen and foot-soldiers.