Shloka 50
अध्याय १४८ — कर्णप्रभावः, धृष्टद्युम्नस्य विरथता, तथा घटोत्कच-आह्वानम्
Chapter 148: Karṇa’s Pressure, Dhṛṣṭadyumna Unhorsed, and the Summoning of Ghaṭotkaca
यो यो<भ्यधावदाक्रन्दे तावक: पाण्डवं रणे । तस्य तस्यान्तगा बाणा: शरीरे न्यपतन् प्रभो,प्रभो! उस घोर संग्राममें आपके पक्षका जो-जो योद्धा पाण्डुपुत्र अर्जुनकी ओर बढ़ा, उस-उसके शरीरपर प्राणान्तकारी बाण पड़ने लगे
yo yo 'bhyadhāvad ākrande tāvakaḥ pāṇḍavaṃ raṇe | tasya tasyāntagā bāṇāḥ śarīre nyapatan prabho ||
Sañjaya said: In that dreadful tumult of battle, O lord, whichever warrior of your side rushed toward the Pāṇḍava (Arjuna) in the fight—upon each of them fell life-ending arrows, striking their bodies. The scene underscores the grim inevitability of war: courage and advance are met not with glory alone, but with swift and fatal consequence when confronted by a superior archer.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh moral reality of war: valorous advance does not guarantee honor or survival. When adharma-driven conflict escalates, even brave warriors become subject to swift, impersonal destruction—here symbolized by Arjuna’s ‘life-ending’ arrows.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that in the fierce battle uproar, any Kaurava fighter who charged toward Arjuna was immediately struck by fatal arrows, indicating Arjuna’s overwhelming martial dominance at that moment.