Shloka 12
भीमसेनस्य बहुमहारथसंयुगः
Bhīmasena’s Engagement with Multiple Mahārathas
सुवर्णपुड्खैरिषुभिय्धपक्षै: सुतेजनै:
sañjaya uvāca — suvarṇapuṅkhair iṣubhir gṛdhrapakṣaiḥ sutejanaiḥ; karṇī-nālīka-nārācaiś ca pāṇḍavānāṃ senām ācchādayām āsa. tīkṣṇaiḥ śaraiḥ dhvajān ciccheda rathinaś ca nipapāta.
ສັນຊະຍະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ດ້ວຍລູກສອນຄົມກິບ ມີກ້ານທອງ ແລະຂົນປີກນົກແຮ້ງເປັນຫາງ, ພ້ອມອາວຸດເຊັ່ນ karṇī, nālīka, ແລະ nārāca, ພຣະອົງໄດ້ປົກຄຸມກອງທັບປານດະວະໄວ້ທັງມວນ. ດ້ວຍລູກສອນອັນແຫຼມຄົມ ພຣະອົງຕັດທົງສັນຍາລັກລົງ ແລະທຳໃຫ້ນັກຮົບເທິງລົດຮົບກໍລົ້ມລົງ—ພາບຂອງຄວາມມີປະສິດທິພາບອັນໂຫດຮ້າຍຂອງສົງຄາມ, ທີ່ຊອກຫາໄຊຊະນະໂດຍທຳລາຍທັງເຄື່ອງໝາຍແຫ່ງກຽດສັກສີ ແລະຜູ້ຮັກສາມັນ.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the battlefield reality that skill and force can shatter both the outward emblems of honor (standards) and the warriors themselves. Ethically, it underscores the Mahābhārata’s tension: kṣatriya-duty demands combat, yet the narrative repeatedly reminds the listener of war’s harsh, dehumanizing momentum.
Sanjaya describes a fierce missile-assault in which the Pāṇḍava forces are ‘covered’ by volleys of sharp, well-made arrows and specialized missiles (karṇī, nālīka, nārāca). The attack severs banners and strikes down chariot-fighters, signaling a decisive, demoralizing pressure on the Pāṇḍava side at that moment.