Shloka 84
भूयश्वाञज्जलिकेनाथ सम्मार्गणगणं महत् | कर्णहस्तस्थितं चापं चिच्छेदाशु घटोत्कच:,तत्पश्चात् अंजलिक नामक बाण मारकर घटोत्कचने कर्णके हाथमें स्थित हुए विशाल धनुषको बाणसमूहोंसहित शीघ्र काट डाला
bhūyaś cāñjalikena atha sammārgaṇagaṇaṁ mahat | karṇahastasthitaṁ cāpaṁ ciccheda āśu ghaṭotkacaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then again, with an Añjalika arrow, Ghaṭotkaca swiftly cut down the great cluster of missiles, and also severed the mighty bow that was held in Karṇa’s hand. In the relentless ethics of battlefield duty, the act is not mere display of strength: it is a tactical disabling of an adversary’s means of combat, turning the contest from personal hatred to the immediate demands of war and survival.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic where effectiveness and duty override ornamentation: disabling an enemy’s weapons is a legitimate and often decisive act within kṣatriya warfare, emphasizing strategy and immediate responsibility in combat.
Sañjaya reports that Ghaṭotkaca, using an Añjalika arrow, rapidly destroys a large volley of missiles and then severs the powerful bow held in Karṇa’s hand, momentarily neutralizing Karṇa’s ability to fight with that weapon.