Shloka 29
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 54 — Missile-Exchange and Tactical Redirection
Arjuna, Aśvatthāman, Karṇa
स चापि पार्थ बहुभि: पृषत्कै- वैंकर्तनो मेघ इवाभ्यवर्षत् । तथैव कर्ण च किरीटमाली संछादयामास शितै: पृषत्कैः
sa cāpi pārtha bahubhiḥ pṛṣatkaiḥ vaikarṇano megha ivābhyavarṣat | tathaiva karṇaṃ ca kirīṭamālī saṃchādayāmāsa śitaiḥ pṛṣatkaiḥ ||
വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു—വൈകർത്തനനായ കർണ്ണനും പാർത്ഥൻ അർജുനന്റെ മേൽ മേഘംപോലെ അനവധി അമ്പുകൾ വർഷിച്ചു. അതുപോലെ കിരീടധാരിയായ അർജുനനും മൂർച്ചയുള്ള ശരംകൊണ്ട് കർണ്ണനെ മൂടി.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the kṣatriya ethic of steadfastness and equal response in righteous combat: a warrior neither collapses under attack nor fights with cowardice, but meets force with disciplined courage, maintaining honor amid violence.
Karna showers Arjuna with a dense volley of arrows, compared to a rain-cloud. Arjuna, identified as the diadem-wearer, answers in kind by covering Karna with sharp arrows, depicting an intense, evenly matched exchange.