Shloka 12
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena
तथैव राजन् कर्णो5पि पार्षतं शत्रुतापनम्,राजन! इसी प्रकार कर्णने भी समरांगणमें विषधर सर्पोके समान विषैले बाणोंद्वारा शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाले धृष्टद्यम्मको आच्छादित कर दिया। फिर द्रोणशत्रु महाधनुर्धर धष्टद्युम्नने भी कर्णको पैने बाणोंसे घायल कर दिया
sañjaya uvāca | tathaiva rājan karṇo 'pi pārṣataṁ śatrutāpanam viṣadhara-sarpavat viṣaileṣubhir bāṇair āchādayām āsa | punaś ca droṇaśatruḥ mahādhanurdharaḥ dhṛṣṭadyumno 'pi karṇaṁ tīkṣṇaiḥ śaraiḥ kṣatam akarot |
Sanjaya said: “Even so, O King, Karna covered Dhrishtadyumna—the son of Prishata, a tormentor of foes—on the battlefield with venomous arrows, like a poison-bearing serpent. Then Dhrishtadyumna, the slayer of Drona and a mighty archer, in turn struck Karna and wounded him with sharp shafts.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the relentless reciprocity of violence in war: even the greatest warriors alternately overpower and are overpowered. It implicitly underscores the Mahabharata’s ethical tension—kshatriya valor and duty operate within a tragic cycle where skill and fury do not guarantee moral clarity or lasting victory.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Karna showers Dhrishtadyumna with venom-like arrows, overwhelming him. Immediately afterward, Dhrishtadyumna—renowned as Drona’s slayer—counterattacks and wounds Karna with sharp arrows, showing the back-and-forth intensity of the duel.