Shloka 44
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 25 — Bhīma’s Disruption of Elephant Formations and Bhagadatta’s Shock Advance
नैव कर्णो न ते पञ्च ददृशुर्बाणसंवृता: । साश्व॒सूतध्वजरथा: परस्परशराचिता:,कर्ण तथा वे पाँचों राजकुमार एक-दूसरेके बरसाये हुए बाण-समूहोंसे व्याप्त एवं आच्छादित होकर घोड़े, सारथि, ध्वज तथा रथसहित अदृश्य हो गये थे
naiva karṇo na te pañca dadṛśur bāṇa-saṁvṛtāḥ | sāśva-sūta-dhvaja-rathāḥ paraspara-śarācitāḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Karṇa pun tak tampak, demikian pula kelima pangeran itu; mereka sepenuhnya terselubung oleh hujan anak panah. Dengan kuda, sais, panji, dan kereta perang, kedua pihak tertutup oleh timbunan panah yang saling dihujankan, hingga lenyap dari pandangan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how unchecked martial fury can become so overwhelming that it obscures clarity itself—symbolically, conflict can cover over discernment, reducing the battlefield to a storm of retaliation where even the combatants vanish behind the consequences of their own violence.
Sañjaya describes an intense exchange of arrows between Karṇa and five opposing princes: the arrow volleys are so dense that both sides—along with their horses, charioteers, banners, and chariots—become invisible, as if swallowed by a cloud of missiles.