Shloka 29
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 54 — Missile-Exchange and Tactical Redirection
Arjuna, Aśvatthāman, Karṇa
स चापि पार्थ बहुभि: पृषत्कै- वैंकर्तनो मेघ इवाभ्यवर्षत् । तथैव कर्ण च किरीटमाली संछादयामास शितै: पृषत्कैः
sa cāpi pārtha bahubhiḥ pṛṣatkaiḥ vaikarṇano megha ivābhyavarṣat | tathaiva karṇaṃ ca kirīṭamālī saṃchādayāmāsa śitaiḥ pṛṣatkaiḥ ||
वैशम्पायन बोले—वैकर्तन कर्ण ने भी पार्थ अर्जुन पर मेघ की भाँति असंख्य बाणों की वर्षा की। उसी प्रकार किरीटधारी अर्जुन ने भी तीक्ष्ण शरों से कर्ण को ढँक दिया।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the kṣatriya ethic of steadfastness and equal response in righteous combat: a warrior neither collapses under attack nor fights with cowardice, but meets force with disciplined courage, maintaining honor amid violence.
Karna showers Arjuna with a dense volley of arrows, compared to a rain-cloud. Arjuna, identified as the diadem-wearer, answers in kind by covering Karna with sharp arrows, depicting an intense, evenly matched exchange.