Shloka 61
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena
निषसाद रथोपस्थे वैक्लव्यं च परं॑ ययौ । महाराज! वह महातेजस्वी नाराच उस ब्राह्मणके कंधेपर जा लगा। अभश्वत्थामा युद्धस्थलमें उस बाणके वेगसे व्याकुल हो रथकी बैठकमें धम्मसे बैठ गया और अत्यन्त मूर्च्छित हो गया ।।
sañjaya uvāca | niṣasāda rathopasthe vaiklavyaṃ ca paraṃ yayau | mahārāja! sa mahātejasvī nārācaḥ tasya brāhmaṇasya skandhe ’bhilagnaḥ | aśvatthāmā yuddhasthale tasya bāṇavegena vyākulaḥ san rathasya āsane dhamm iti niṣasāda, atyantaṃ ca mūrcchitaḥ || tataḥ karṇo mahārāja vyākṣipad vijayaṃ dhanuḥ | rājarājeśvara! tataḥ paścāt karṇaḥ samaraṅgaṇe kupito ’rjunaṃ prati punaḥ punaḥ paśyan vijaya-nāmnaḥ dhanuṣaḥ ṭaṅkāram akarot | sa mahāsamare ’rjunena saha dvairatha-yuddhasya abhīlāṣī babhūva ||
Sañjaya dit : Il s’affaissa sur le siège du char et tomba dans une extrême impuissance. Cette flèche nārāca, flamboyante, frappa l’épaule du brahmane. Aśvatthāmā, ébranlé par l’élan du trait sur le champ de bataille, s’écroula lourdement sur le banc du char et sombra dans une profonde inconscience. Alors, ô roi, Karṇa saisit son arc nommé Vijaya. Ô seigneur des rois, ensuite Karṇa, furieux dans l’arène et jetant sans cesse les yeux vers Arjuna, fit retentir le Vijaya de son claquement—désirant, en cette grande guerre, un duel de char à char avec Arjuna.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the kṣatriya ideal of steadfastness and the public signaling of intent in war: even amid chaos and injury, warriors assert resolve (through the bow’s ṭaṅkāra) and seek regulated forms of combat (dvairatha), showing how martial ethics tries to impose order on violence.
A powerful narāca arrow strikes a brahmin on the shoulder, and Aśvatthāmā—disturbed by the arrow’s force—collapses unconscious on the chariot-seat. Immediately after, Karṇa, angered, brandishes his bow Vijaya, repeatedly looks toward Arjuna, and twangs the bow to declare his desire for a direct chariot-duel with him.