Shloka 22
तस्य कर्णो महेष्वास: सायकांशक्ष॒तुरो$क्षिपत्,राजन! फिर महाधनुर्धर कर्णने चार बाण चलाये। परंतु भीमसेनने अपने हाथकी फुर्ती दिखाते हुए झुकी हुई गाँठवाले अनेक बाणोंद्वारा अपने पास आनेके पहले ही कर्णके बाणोंके टुकड़े-टुकड़े कर दिये
tasya karṇo maheṣvāsaḥ sāyakāṃś caturō 'kṣipat
Sañjaya said: Then Karṇa, that mighty archer, shot four arrows at him. But Bhīmasena, displaying swift mastery of his hands, shattered Karṇa’s incoming shafts into fragments even before they could reach him—an image of battlefield skill where force is met not merely with force, but with alertness and control amid the relentless demands of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
In the dharmic frame of a kṣatriya battle, prowess is not only aggression but disciplined attention and timely response. The verse highlights controlled skill—meeting danger with presence of mind—rather than uncontrolled fury.
Karṇa releases four arrows at his opponent. Bhīmasena, moving with great quickness, intercepts and breaks those arrows before they can strike, demonstrating superior defensive timing in that exchange.