Shloka 333
Adhyāya 40 (Book 7, Droṇa-parva): Abhimanyu’s Rapid Advance and Battlefield Disruption
सच्छत्रध्वजयन्तारं साश्वमाशु स्मयन्निव । उसने मुसकराते हुए-से अपने मण्डलाकार धनुषसे छूटे हुए विषधर सर्पोके समान भयानक बाणोंद्वारा छत्र, ध्वज, सारथि और घोड़ोंसहित कर्णको शीघ्र ही घायल कर दिया
sacchatradhvajayantāraṃ sāśvam āśu smayann iva | maṇḍalākāra-dhanuṣā muktair viṣadhara-sarpopamaiḥ bhayānakaiḥ bāṇaiḥ karṇaṃ chatradhvaja-sārathi-aśva-sahitaṃ śīghram eva vyathayām āsa ||
Sanjaya said: As though smiling, he swiftly struck Karna—together with his parasol, banner, charioteer, and horses—using terrifying arrows released from his circular bow, like venomous serpents. The scene underscores how, in the fury of war, even the emblems of honor and protection are shattered, and prowess is measured by the capacity to disable an opponent’s entire war-machine, not merely the warrior.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh ethic of battlefield dharma: victory is pursued through decisive disabling of the enemy’s capacity to fight (chariot, horses, standard), while also reminding that royal insignia and outward honor (parasol, banner) are fragile amid violence.
Sanjaya reports that a warrior (implied opponent of Karna) rapidly wounds Karna along with his chariot’s key elements—parasol, banner, charioteer, and horses—by firing fearsome arrows from a circular bow, compared to venomous serpents.