Shloka 15
Karṇa’s Camp-Council Discourse: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament, Sañjaya’s Counsel, and Karṇa’s Request for Śalya
Book 8, Chapter 22
तान् बाणांस्तव पुत्रो5पि छित्त्वैकैकं त्रिभि: शरै: । ननाद सुमहानादं दारयाणो वसुन्धराम्
tān bāṇāṁs tava putro 'pi chittvaikaikaṁ tribhiḥ śaraiḥ | nanāda sumahānādaṁ dārayāṇo vasundharām ||
Sañjaya berkata: Putera tuanku juga mematahkan setiap anak panah itu, satu demi satu, dengan tiga batang anak panah; lalu, seolah-olah membelah bumi, dia mengaum dengan pekikan yang amat dahsyat—lambang keangkuhan pahlawan untuk menggentarkan musuh dan mengisytiharkan keunggulan di medan perang.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the battlefield ethic of demonstrating prowess and resolve: skill (cutting each arrow precisely) is paired with intimidation (a thunderous roar). Ethically, it illustrates how martial pride and the urge to dominate can drive conduct in war, even when not explicitly framed as dharma.
In Sañjaya’s report, Duryodhana counters Sahadeva’s attack by severing each incoming arrow with three of his own, then roars loudly—described hyperbolically as if splitting the earth—to assert confidence and unsettle the opponent.