Shloka 20
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 54 — Missile-Exchange and Tactical Redirection
Arjuna, Aśvatthāman, Karṇa
स पाण्डवं द्वादशभि: पृषत्कै- वैंकर्तन: शीघ्रमथो जघान । विव्याध गात्रेषु हयांश्व सर्वान् विराटपुत्रं च करे निजघ्ने
sa pāṇḍavaṃ dvādaśabhiḥ pṛṣatkaiḥ vaikarṭanaḥ śīghram atho jaghāna | vivyādha gātreṣu hayāṃś ca sarvān virāṭaputraṃ ca kare nijaghne ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana dit : Vaikartana (Karna), d’un élan guerrier fulgurant, frappa le Pāṇḍava Arjuna de douze flèches. Puis il perça les membres de tous les chevaux, et porta encore un coup lourd à la main d’Uttara, fils de Virāṭa. La scène souligne la rude loi de l’adresse au champ de bataille : la vitesse et la maîtrise y tranchent, tandis que la guerre plus vaste éprouve la retenue, le devoir et la protection des alliés.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the battlefield dimension of kṣatriya-dharma: speed, precision, and effectiveness in combat, alongside the moral weight of protecting one’s side and allies. It frames prowess as a tool within a larger ethical struggle rather than mere violence.
Karna rapidly wounds Arjuna with twelve arrows, pierces the horses drawing Arjuna’s chariot, and strikes Uttara—Virāṭa’s son—on the hand, intensifying the chariot-battle and putting Arjuna’s party under immediate pressure.