Shloka 28
कर्णवधार्थं धनञ्जयस्य प्रतिज्ञा — Arjuna’s resolve for Karṇa’s defeat
ते बद्धा: पादबन्धेन न शेकुश्रेष्टितुं नृप । ततस्तानवधीत् पार्थ: शरै: संनतपर्वभि:,नरेश्वर! उस समय पैर बँधे होनेके कारण वे हिल भी न सके। तब अर्जुन झुकी हुई गाँठवाले बाणोंद्वारा उनका वध करने लगे
te baddhāḥ pādabandhena na śekuḥ ceṣṭituṁ nṛpa | tatas tān avadhīt pārthaḥ śaraiḥ saṁnataparvabhiḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Raja, kaki mereka terikat erat sehingga mereka tidak mampu bergerak walau sedikit. Maka Pārtha (Arjuna) pun mula membunuh mereka dengan anak panah yang sendinya dibengkokkan ke bawah.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how quickly a battle can turn from a fair contest into a one-sided killing once opponents are incapacitated. It implicitly invites reflection on kṣatriya-dharma: victory may demand harsh tactics, yet the moral weight of striking the helpless remains a tension within the epic’s portrayal of war.
Sañjaya reports to the king that certain warriors had their feet bound and could not move. Taking advantage of their immobilized state, Arjuna (Pārtha) proceeds to kill them using arrows described as having bent joints (saṁnata-parvan).