Shloka 39
धर्मरहस्योपदेशः
Dharma-rahasya Instruction: Vows, Truth, and Non-injury
तस्य कर्णों धरनुर्मध्ये द्विधा चिच्छेद पत्रिभि: । अथीैनं छिन्नधन्वानं प्रत्यविध्यत् स्तनान्तरे
tasya karṇo dhanuḥmadhye dvidhā ciccheda patribhiḥ | athainaṃ chinnadhanvānaṃ pratyavidhyat stanāntare ||
Sañjaya dit : Karṇa fendit l’arc de son adversaire en plein milieu d’un trait acéré. Et lorsque ce guerrier demeura debout, l’arc tranché, Karṇa le frappa encore, le perçant entre les deux seins.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between kṣatriya prowess and the ethical weight of warfare: technical excellence (cutting the bow) quickly becomes lethal action (piercing the chest), reminding the reader that skill in battle carries grave moral and human consequences.
Sañjaya reports that Karṇa severs his opponent’s bow at the midpoint with arrows, effectively disarming him, and then immediately counter-strikes, piercing the now bowless warrior in the chest between the breasts.