Shloka 35
Chapter 137: Yuyudhāna (Sātyaki) Slays Somadatta; Yudhiṣṭhira Redirected from Droṇa
कुरवस्तु ततः कर्ण परिवार्य समन्तत: । अवाकिरन् भीमसेनं शरै: संनतपर्वभि:,तब उन कौरवोंने कर्णको चारों ओरसे घेरकर भीमसेनपर झुकी हुई गाँठवाले बाणोंकी वर्षा आरम्भ कर दी
kuravastu tataḥ karṇaṃ parivārya samantataḥ | avākiran bhīmasenaṃ śaraiḥ saṃnataparvabhiḥ ||
Kemudian para Kaurava mengepung Karṇa dari segala sisi bagaikan gelang pelindung, lalu menghujani Bhīmasena dengan anak panah yang ruas-ruasnya menunduk—serangan terpadu di bawah lindungan Karṇa.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war magnifies collective strategy and loyalty to one’s side: the Kauravas form a protective circle around their foremost archer, Karṇa, and direct concentrated force against Bhīma. Ethically, it illustrates the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between valor and the impersonal machinery of battle—where individuals become targets of coordinated violence rather than purely single combat.
After a turn in the fighting, the Kaurava warriors close ranks around Karṇa, shielding him, and together unleash a dense rain of arrows at Bhīmasena. The image conveys a tactical encirclement and a focused missile barrage meant to restrain or overwhelm Bhīma.