कर्णपर्व — पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः | Karṇa Parva, Chapter 15: Pāṇḍya’s Advance and Aśvatthāmā’s Counterstroke
शरैरविशकलीकुर्वन्नमित्रानभ्यवीवृषत् । स्वलंकृतानश्वसादीन् पत्ती क्षाहन् धनंजय:
sañjaya uvāca | śarair aviśakalīkurvann amitrān abhyavīvṛṣat | suvalaṅkṛtān aśvasādīn pattīṃś cāhan dhanañjayaḥ ||
संजय बोले—धनंजय बाणों से शत्रुओं को टुकड़े-टुकड़े करता हुआ उन पर टूट पड़ा। उसने सजे-धजे घुड़सवारों और पैदल सैनिकों को भी मार गिराया।
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights the grim reality of kṣatriya-duty in war: disciplined skill and resolve can become overwhelming force. Ethically, it points to the tension between martial excellence and the destructive consequences of battle undertaken as a perceived obligation.
Sanjaya describes Arjuna on the battlefield showering arrows, shattering enemy formations and breaking apart splendid chariots, while also cutting down decorated horsemen and foot-soldiers.