Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 54 — Missile-Exchange and Tactical Redirection
Arjuna, Aśvatthāman, Karṇa
उद्धृूतलाडूलमहापताक- ध्वजोत्तमांसाकुलभीषणान्तम् । गाण्डीवनिर्हादकृतप्रणाद॑ किरीडिनं प्रेक्ष्य ननाद कर्ण:
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
uddhṛta-lāṅgūla-mahā-patākā-dhvajottamāṃsākula-bhīṣaṇāntam |
gāṇḍīva-nirghāda-kṛta-praṇādaṃ kirīṭinaṃ prekṣya nanāda karṇaḥ ||
វៃសម្បាយនៈបាននិយាយ៖ ក្រឡេកឃើញអរជុនអ្នកពាក់មកុដ—ដែលលើរថមានទង់ដ៏ឆ្នើម ហើយស្តង់ដារធំមានកន្ទុយស្វាដែលលើកឡើងរំកិលដូចបដាធំ; ផ្នែកខាងមុខរថហាក់គួរឱ្យភ័យខ្លាចដោយភាពចលាចល និងសេចក្តីស្ញប់ស្ញែង; ហើយសំឡេងធ្នូគណ្ឌីវរបស់គេកក្រើកដូចផ្គរលាន់—កર્ણ ក៏បន្លឺសីហនាទម្តងហើយម្តងទៀត។
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse highlights how martial symbols—banner, bow-sound, and lion-roar—are used to project courage and unsettle opponents; ethically, it also warns that such displays can intensify ego and rivalry, accelerating the descent into violence when dharma is already strained.
Arjuna appears with his formidable chariot-banner (with the monkey emblem) and the thunderous reverberation of the Gāṇḍīva; upon seeing him, Karna responds with repeated lion-like roars, signaling challenge and the escalation toward battle.