Karṇa’s Camp-Council Discourse: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament, Sañjaya’s Counsel, and Karṇa’s Request for Śalya
Book 8, Chapter 22
अथान्यद् धनुरादाय सहदेव: प्रतापवान् | दुःशासनाय चिक्षेप बाणमन्तकरं ततः,तदनन्तर प्रतापी सहदेवने दूसरा धनुष लेकर दुःशासनपर एक विनाशकारी बाणका प्रहार किया
athānyad dhanur ādāya sahadevaḥ pratāpavān | duḥśāsanāya cikṣepa bāṇam antakaraṃ tataḥ ||
પછી પ્રતાપી સહદેવે બીજું ધનુષ લઈને દુઃશાસન પર પ્રાણાંતક બાણ ફેંક્યું।
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in its starkest form: once battle is joined, a warrior acts with resolve and skill. Ethically, it reflects how duty and long-standing hostility can converge, making violence appear as a sanctioned instrument within the war’s moral framework.
Sañjaya reports that Sahadeva, displaying prowess, takes up another bow and shoots a deadly arrow at Duhśāsana, indicating an intensification of direct combat between prominent warriors.