पुनश्च कर्ण त्रिभिरष्टभिश्न द्वाभ्यां चतुर्भिर्देशभिश्व विद्ध्वा
punaś ca karṇa tribhir aṣṭabhiś ca dvābhyāṃ caturbhir deśabhiś ca viddhvā
Sañjaya dit : Et de nouveau, ô Karṇa—l’ayant atteint en trois endroits, en huit, puis de deux, de quatre, et en d’autres points vitaux—il continua de le blesser sans relâche. Le récit souligne la violence implacable et méthodique du champ de bataille, où l’art des armes sert à infliger des atteintes répétées plutôt qu’à se contenir.
संजय उवाच
The verse is primarily descriptive rather than doctrinal: it highlights how, in war, technical prowess can manifest as repeated, targeted wounding. Ethically, it invites reflection on the grim momentum of battle—where duty and skill operate within a context of escalating harm.
Sañjaya reports that Karṇa (or an opponent in the scene being narrated) is being struck again and again—counted as multiple hits (three, eight, two, four) and in various bodily points—emphasizing the intensity and continuity of the exchange on the battlefield.