Shloka 14
कृष्णोपदेशः, अर्जुनस्य क्षमा-याचनम्, कर्णवध-अनुज्ञा
Krishna’s Counsel, Arjuna’s Apology, and Authorization for Karṇa’s Slaying
ततो<पराभ्यां भल्लाभ्यां पुत्रयोस््ते महाहवे
tato 'parābhyāṁ bhallābhyāṁ putrayos te mahāhave
Alors, dans cette grande bataille, de deux flèches bhalla acérées, il frappa tes deux fils—un acte qui avive le tragique déchirement entre l’attachement d’un père et le devoir du roi, sous l’éthique impitoyable de la guerre.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The line underscores the harsh moral landscape of kṣatriya warfare: personal bonds (a father's sons) are overridden by the impersonal momentum of battle, where skill and duty can produce irreversible loss, highlighting the tension between attachment and royal/warrior obligation.
Sañjaya reports that, in the midst of a major combat, a warrior (implied by context) uses two bhalla-arrows to strike Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s two sons, marking a decisive and violent turn in the encounter.