Shloka 23
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 20 — Yudhiṣṭhira–Duryodhana Encounter and Escalation of Arms
वर्मदेहासुम थनैर्धनुष: प्रच्युतै: शरैः । मौर्व्या तलत्रे न्यहनत् कशया वाजिनो यथा,जैसे घुड़सवार घोड़ोंकों कोड़ेसे पीटता है, उसी प्रकार कर्ण धनुषसे छूटकर कवच शरीर और प्राणोंको मथ डालनेवाले बाणोंद्वारा शत्रुओंके हस्तत्राणपर भी प्रहार करने लगा
sañjaya uvāca | varmādehāsūn mathanair dhanuṣaḥ pracyutaiḥ śaraiḥ | maurvyā talatre nyahanat kaśayā vājino yathā ||
Sanjaya said: With arrows loosed from his bow—arrows that churned and shattered armour, bodies, and even life-breath—Karna struck the enemies’ bow-strings and protective hand-guards, as a rider lashes horses with a whip. The verse underscores the ruthless efficiency of battlefield skill: mastery is turned toward destruction, and the warrior’s prowess becomes an instrument that breaks both weapons and lives.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how technical excellence in war can be ethically ambivalent: the same disciplined skill that reflects a kshatriya’s training becomes a force that destroys bodies, armour, and life. It invites reflection on responsibility and the moral weight of prowess when used for harm.
Sanjaya describes Karna’s fierce archery: he releases arrows that devastate opponents, striking their protective gear and even disabling their fighting capacity, likening his repeated blows to a rider whipping horses.