Shloka 20
तत् समीक्ष्य ततः कर्णों ब्रह्मास्त्रेण धनंजयम् | अभ्यवर्षत् पुनर्यत्नमकरोद् रथसर्जने,यह देख कर्णने अर्जुनपर ब्रह्मास्त्रका प्रयोग करके बाणोंकी झड़ी लगा दी और पुनः रथको उठानेका प्रयत्न किया
tat samīkṣya tataḥ karṇo brahmāstreṇa dhanañjayam | abhyavarṣat punar yatnam akarod rathasarjane ||
Sañjaya dit : Voyant la situation, Karṇa, de nouveau, accabla Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) d’une pluie de flèches en recourant au Brahmāstra. Et tout en pressant l’attaque, il s’efforça encore de dégager et de relever son char—révélant l’éthique âpre du champ de bataille, où le guerrier doit à la fois tenir bon dans l’adversité et poursuivre la victoire par les moyens les plus redoutables.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the battlefield ethic of sustained resolve: even amid setbacks (a chariot needing to be freed), a warrior continues his duty with focused effort, combining immediate practical action with the strategic use of powerful resources—raising questions about proportionality and responsibility in deploying supreme weapons.
Sañjaya reports that Karṇa, after assessing the moment, attacks Arjuna by invoking the Brahmāstra and showering him with arrows, while simultaneously attempting again to extricate and lift his chariot.