Shloka 6
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena
समासाद्य तु ते कर्ण व्यशीर्यन्त महारथा: । यथाचलं समासाद्य वार्योघा: सर्वतोदिशम्
samāsādya tu te karṇa vyaśīryanta mahārathāḥ | yathācalaṃ samāsādya vāryoghāḥ sarvato diśam ||
Sañjaya dit : « Ô Karṇa, lorsque ces grands guerriers de char t’atteignirent au plus près, ils furent dispersés et brisés—comme des torrents qui, parvenus à une montagne immobile, se répandent de toutes parts. »
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfastness under pressure: when a force meets an unshakable center (like a mountain), its momentum disperses. Ethically, it frames battlefield excellence as firmness and composure that prevents chaos from overwhelming one’s position.
Sañjaya reports that elite warriors who advanced toward Karṇa could not hold formation against him; upon reaching him they scattered in different directions, compared to floodwaters spreading out after striking a mountain.