Shloka 14
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ५७
Arjuna’s targeted advance; Śalya–Karṇa dialogue; interception attempts
सुवर्णविकृतान् प्रासाउशक्ती: कनकभूषणा: । जाम्बूनदमयै: पट्टैर्बद्धाश्व विपुला गदा:,“देखो, ये सुवर्णमय प्रास, स्वर्णभूषित शक्तियाँ तथा सोनेके बने हुए पत्रोंसे मढ़ी हुई विशाल गदाएँ पड़ी हैं
suvarṇavikṛtān prāsān śaktīḥ kanakabhūṣaṇāḥ | jāmbūnadamayaiḥ paṭṭair baddhāś ca vipulā gadāḥ |
Sañjaya berkata: “Lihatlah—di sini terbaring lembing yang ditempa dan dibentuk daripada emas, tombak lontar (śakti) yang dihiasi emas, dan gada besar yang diikat serta disalut dengan jalur emas Jāmbūnada yang murni.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the futility of worldly splendor in the face of war and death: even exquisitely crafted, gold-adorned weapons end up discarded on the battlefield, reminding the listener that pride in wealth and display is transient and ethically secondary to the consequences of violence and the demands of dharma.
Sañjaya is reporting to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, pointing out the battlefield scene where richly ornamented weapons—spears, javelins, and heavy maces—are seen lying about, emphasizing the scale of combat and the costly, royal nature of the armaments now rendered inert.