Shloka 8
अध्याय २६ — शल्यस्य सारथ्य-नियोजनं, कर्णस्य प्रस्थानं, उत्पातदर्शनं च
Chapter 26: Śalya appointed as charioteer; Karṇa’s departure; portents
सत्यसेनस्टत्रिभिर्बाणैरविव्याध युधि पाण्डवम् । मित्रदेवस्त्रिषष्टया तु चन्द्रदेवस्तु सप्तभि:,सत्यसेनने तीन, मित्रदेवने तिरसठ, चन्द्रदेवने सात, मित्रवर्माने तिहत्तर, सौश्रुतिने सात, श्रुवंज॑यने बीस तथा सुशमने नौ बाणोंसे युद्धस्थलमें पाण्डुपुत्र अर्जुनको बींध डाला
sañjaya uvāca | satyasenas tu tribhir bāṇair avivyādha yudhi pāṇḍavam | mitradevas triṣaṣṭyā tu candradevas tu saptabhiḥ | mitravarmā tu tri-saptatyā sauśrutiḥ saptabhiḥ | śruvañjayo viṃśatyā tathā suśamā navabhiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: In the thick of battle, Satyasena pierced the Pāṇḍava (Arjuna) with three arrows. Mitradeva struck him with sixty-three, and Candradeva with seven. Mitravarmā then hit him with seventy-three; Sauśruti with seven; Śruvañjaya with twenty; and Suśamā with nine. Thus, many warriors together showered Arjuna with missiles, displaying the relentless, collective violence of war where prowess is measured by the capacity to wound, even as the larger struggle over rightful rule and duty continues.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the harsh reality of kṣatriya warfare: fame and advantage are pursued through martial force, often by coordinated attacks. Ethically, it highlights how the battlefield compresses moral life into duty, endurance, and resolve amid violence, setting the stage for reflections on dharma under extreme conditions.
Sañjaya reports that several warriors—Satyasena, Mitradeva, Candradeva, Mitravarmā, Sauśruti, Śruvañjaya, and Suśamā—strike Arjuna with specified numbers of arrows, describing a concentrated missile-assault on him during the battle.