Shloka 49
Adhyāya 141 — Night duels: Śaineya and Bhūriśravas; Droṇi and Ghaṭotkaca; Bhīma and Duryodhana
तथा कर्ण: शितान् बाणान् कर्मारपरिमार्जितान्
tathā karṇaḥ śitān bāṇān karmāraparimārjitān
Sañjaya said: Then Karṇa (in the heat of battle) let fly sharp arrows, carefully finished and polished by the smith—an image of deliberate, well-prepared violence, where skill and craftsmanship are turned toward the grim necessities of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The line highlights how intention and preparation amplify action: craftsmanship and discipline can serve dharma or adharma depending on the wielder’s purpose. In war, excellence in skill becomes ethically weighty because it increases the power to harm.
Sañjaya narrates that Karṇa, continuing the combat, uses keen, well-polished arrows—suggesting an intensified exchange where Karṇa’s martial readiness and the quality of his weapons contribute to the battle’s deadly momentum.