Shloka 3
तस्मिन् प्रवृत्ते संग्रामे तुमुले शोणितोदके । संशप्तकेषु शूरेषु किंचिच्छिष्टेषु भारत,भारत! जहाँ खून पानीके समान बहाया जाता था, उस भयंकर संग्रामके छिड़ जानेपर तथा थोड़े-से ही संशप्तक वीरोंके शेष रह जानेपर समस्त राजाओं-सहित धृष्टद्युम्नने कर्णपर ही आक्रमण किया। महाराज! अन्य पाण्डव महारथियोंने भी उन्हींका साथ दिया
tasmin pravṛtte saṅgrāme tumule śoṇitodake | saṁśaptakeṣu śūreṣu kiṁcicchiṣṭeṣu bhārata |
Sañjaya said: When that dreadful battle had begun—roaring tumultuously, with blood flowing like water—and when only a few of the vowed Saṁśaptaka heroes remained, O Bhārata, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, together with all the kings, launched an assault upon Karṇa; and the other Pāṇḍava great chariot-warriors also supported him. The verse underscores the grim momentum of war: as sworn fighters are nearly spent, leadership and collective resolve concentrate against a pivotal champion, intensifying both the strategic and moral pressure of the conflict.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how vows and martial duty drive warriors to the brink, and how, amid the moral darkness of bloodshed, leadership and collective resolve focus on confronting a decisive adversary. It implicitly invites reflection on the human cost of war even when fought under kṣatriya codes.
As the battle turns extremely fierce and most of the Saṁśaptaka fighters have fallen, Dhṛṣṭadyumna—supported by allied kings and other Pāṇḍava great chariot-warriors—moves to attack Karṇa, concentrating forces against him.