Shloka 26
भीमसेन–कर्णयुद्धवर्णनम्
Description of the Bhīmasena–Karṇa Engagement
गृहीत्वा धनुरन्यत् तु शल्यो विव्याध पाण्डवम् । भूरिश्रवास्त्रिभिबाणिहेमपुड्खै: शिलाशितै:,तब शल्यने दूसरा धनुष हाथमें लेकर पाण्डुपुत्र अर्जुनको बींध डाला। भूरिश्रवाने सानपर तेज किये हुए सुवर्णमय पंखवाले तीन बाणोंसे उन्हें घायल कर दिया
sañjaya uvāca |
gṛhītvā dhanur anyat tu śalyo vivyādha pāṇḍavam |
bhūriśravās tribhir bāṇaiḥ hemapuṅkhaiḥ śilāśitaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Taking up another bow, Śalya pierced the Pāṇḍava (Arjuna). Bhūriśravā too wounded him with three arrows—gold-feathered and whetted on stone—intensifying the relentless pressure of battle. The scene underscores the Mahābhārata’s grim ethic of kṣatriya warfare: prowess and persistence are praised, yet the narrative also highlights how even the foremost heroes are made vulnerable amid escalating violence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse reflects the harsh discipline of kṣatriya-dharma in war: combatants persist despite setbacks (Śalya takes another bow), and excellence in arms is displayed (stone-whetted, well-made arrows). At the same time, it reminds readers that even great heroes like Arjuna are subject to injury, emphasizing the moral weight and cost of warfare.
Sañjaya reports that Śalya, switching to another bow, strikes Arjuna. Immediately after, Bhūriśravā also wounds Arjuna with three sharp, gold-fletched arrows, showing a coordinated or successive assault on Arjuna during the battle.