Shloka 3
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena
तस्मिन् प्रवृत्ते संग्रामे तुमुले शोणितोदके । संशप्तकेषु शूरेषु किंचिच्छिष्टेषु भारत
tasmin pravṛtte saṅgrāme tumule śoṇitodake | saṁśaptakeṣu śūreṣu kiṁcicchiṣṭeṣu bhārata |
Sañjaya dit : Lorsque cette bataille terrible s’engagea—grondant dans un tumulte assourdissant, le sang coulant comme l’eau—et qu’il ne resta plus qu’un petit nombre des héros Saṁśaptaka liés par leur vœu, ô Bhārata, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, avec tous les rois, lança l’assaut contre Karṇa ; et les autres grands guerriers de char des Pāṇḍava le soutinrent également.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how vows and martial duty drive warriors to the brink, and how, amid the moral darkness of bloodshed, leadership and collective resolve focus on confronting a decisive adversary. It implicitly invites reflection on the human cost of war even when fought under kṣatriya codes.
As the battle turns extremely fierce and most of the Saṁśaptaka fighters have fallen, Dhṛṣṭadyumna—supported by allied kings and other Pāṇḍava great chariot-warriors—moves to attack Karṇa, concentrating forces against him.