Shloka 81
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे राजन् दृष्टवा कर्णस्य विक्रमम् | आकर्णममुक्तैरिषुभि: कर्णस्य चतुरो हयान्,राजन्! इसी समय कर्णका वह पराक्रम देखकर श्वेतवाहन अर्जुनने कानतक खींचकर छोड़े हुए चार बाणोंद्वारा कर्णके चारों घोड़ोंको प्रेततोक पहुँचा दिया और एक भल्ल मारकर उसके सारथिको रथकी बैठकसे नीचे गिरा दिया
etasminn antare rājan dṛṣṭvā karṇasya vikramam | ākarṇam amuktair iṣubhiḥ karṇasya caturo hayān ||
Sañjaya said: “Just then, O King, seeing Karṇa’s prowess, Arjuna of the white steeds drew his bow to the ear and, with arrows released at full draw, sent Karṇa’s four horses to their end.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh logic of kṣatriya warfare: prowess invites immediate counteraction, and tactical strikes (disabling the opponent’s mobility) can decide a battle. Ethically, it reflects the battlefield dharma where decisive action is taken without hesitation once combat is joined.
Sañjaya reports that, upon witnessing Karṇa’s valor, Arjuna responds swiftly by shooting fully drawn arrows that kill Karṇa’s four horses, thereby crippling Karṇa’s chariot’s movement and shifting the momentum of the encounter.