Shloka 14
कृष्णोपदेशः, अर्जुनस्य क्षमा-याचनम्, कर्णवध-अनुज्ञा
Krishna’s Counsel, Arjuna’s Apology, and Authorization for Karṇa’s Slaying
ततो<पराभ्यां भल्लाभ्यां पुत्रयोस््ते महाहवे
tato 'parābhyāṁ bhallābhyāṁ putrayos te mahāhave
Then, in that great battle, with two sharp bhalla-arrows, he struck your two sons—an act that intensifies the tragic unraveling of paternal attachment and royal duty amid the ruthless ethics of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The line underscores the harsh moral landscape of kṣatriya warfare: personal bonds (a father's sons) are overridden by the impersonal momentum of battle, where skill and duty can produce irreversible loss, highlighting the tension between attachment and royal/warrior obligation.
Sañjaya reports that, in the midst of a major combat, a warrior (implied by context) uses two bhalla-arrows to strike Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s two sons, marking a decisive and violent turn in the encounter.