Shloka 616
सूतपुत्र॑ महाबाहुः सर्वसैन्यस्य पश्यत: । तब महाबाहु अर्जुनने समरांगणमें सारी सेनाके देखते-देखते सूतपुत्र कर्णको दस बाणोंसे घायल कर दिया
Sūtaputraḥ mahābāhuḥ sarvasainyasya paśyataḥ | tataḥ mahābāhuḥ Arjunena samarāṅgaṇe sārī senāke dekhate-dekhate sūtaputra Karṇo daśa-bāṇaiḥ ghāyitaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: In full view of the entire army, the mighty-armed Arjuna, on the battlefield, struck Karṇa—the son of a charioteer—with ten arrows, wounding him before all. The moment underscores how prowess and resolve are publicly tested in war, where honor and reputation are shaped under the gaze of both allies and foes.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the warrior ethic where valor is demonstrated openly: deeds in battle are performed under public scrutiny, shaping honor and standing. It also reflects the intense rivalry of great fighters, where skill and resolve become moral and social proof before the assembled host.
Sañjaya reports that Arjuna, in the midst of combat, strikes Karṇa with ten arrows, wounding him, and this occurs in the sight of the whole army—emphasizing the dramatic, witnessed nature of the encounter.