Shloka 44
धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — सात्यकि-अलम्बुसयोर्युद्धवर्णनम्
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Saṃjaya Dialogue; Account of Sātyaki vs Alambusa
कर्णस्य सैन्यं सुमहदभिहत्य शितै: शरै:
karṇasya sainyaṃ sumahad abhihatya śitaiḥ śaraiḥ
Sañjaya said: Having struck down Karṇa’s very large army with keen, sharp arrows, the warrior (implied from context) shattered the opposing force—an image of relentless battlefield skill where martial prowess is exercised without pause, even as the moral weight of slaughter in war remains implicit in the epic’s larger dharmic frame.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The line foregrounds the epic’s recurring tension: extraordinary martial competence can decisively alter outcomes, yet the act is still embedded in a war whose ethical burden is borne by all parties. It reflects the Mahābhārata’s insistence that victory in battle does not erase the moral gravity of destruction.
Sañjaya reports that Karṇa’s large contingent is being cut down by sharp arrows—indicating a moment of battlefield dominance where one side’s archery overwhelms Karṇa’s forces.