Shloka 14
कर्णार्जुनसमागमः — The Karṇa–Arjuna Confrontation
Cosmic Spectatorship and Vows
पार्थेन समरे राजन् कृतो घोरो जनक्षय: । विहता रथिन: पेतु: पार्थचापच्युतै: शरै:
sañjaya uvāca | pārthena samare rājan kṛto ghoro janakṣayaḥ | vihatā rathinaḥ petuḥ pārthacāpacyutaiḥ śaraiḥ ||
サञ्जयは言った。「大王よ、戦いにおいてパールタ（アルジュナ）は恐るべき人命の滅びをもたらした。パールタの弓から放たれた矢に撃たれ、多くの車戦の勇士が地に倒れた。この光景は戦の陰惨な倫理的代償を示す。たとえ大義のために戦うとしても、戦場は人の命がたちまち、そして容赦なく断たれてゆく場所となるのだ。」
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the stark moral reality of war: even when a warrior acts within kṣatriya duty, the immediate outcome is ghastly human loss (janakṣaya). It invites reflection on the ethical weight borne by rulers and warriors who choose or sustain conflict.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna (Pārtha) is devastating the battlefield—his arrows, shot from his bow, are striking down and felling many chariot-warriors.