Shloka 14
चिक्षेप कर्णमुद्दिश्य कर्णस्तान् व्यधमच्छरै: । महामनस्वी सूतपुत्र कर्णके द्वारा उस रथचक्रके नष्ट कर दिये जानेपर ईषादण्ड, जोते, नाना प्रकारके जूए, हाथीके कटे हुए अंग, मरे घोड़े और बहुत-सी मृत मनुष्योंकी लाशें कर्णको लक्ष्य करके चलायीं; परंतु कर्णने अपने बाणोंद्वारा उन सबकी धज्जियाँ उड़ा दीं ।। स निरायुधमात्मान ज्ञात्वा माद्रवतीसुत:
sañjaya uvāca |
cikṣepa karṇam uddiśya karṇas tān vyadhamac charaiḥ |
sa nirāyudham ātmānaṃ jñātvā mādravatī-sutaḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Sebuah senjata dilontarkan menyasar Karna, namun Karna memecahkannya dengan anak panahnya. Lalu putera Mādravatī, menyedari dirinya tidak lagi bersenjata, pun berada dalam keadaan genting di tengah himpitan pertempuran.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the battlefield ethic of alertness and mastery: even when attacked, a skilled warrior counters effectively; yet the narrative also turns to the moral and strategic peril of becoming nirāyudha (weaponless), where vulnerability tests resolve and dharma-guided conduct under extreme pressure.
Sanjaya reports that an attack was launched against Karna, but Karna destroys the incoming threat with his arrows. Immediately after, attention shifts to a figure called the son of Mādravatī, who realizes he is without weapons, signaling a dangerous turning point in the fight.