Shloka 18
कर्णार्जुनसमागमः — The Karṇa–Arjuna Confrontation
Cosmic Spectatorship and Vows
सो35तिविद्धो रणे तेन द्रोणपुत्रेण भारत,भारत! रणभूमिमें द्रोणपुत्रके द्वारा अत्यन्त घायल किये गये उदारबुद्धि गाण्डीवधारी अर्जुनने समरांगणमें बलपूर्वक बाणोंकी वर्षा करके अश्वत्थामाको ढक दिया और उसके धनुषको भी काट डाला
so 'tividdho raṇe tena droṇaputreṇa bhārata | bhārata! raṇabhūmau droṇaputreṇa atyantaṁ ghāyitaḥ udārabuddhiḥ gāṇḍīvadhārī arjunaḥ samarāṅgaṇe balapūrvakaṁ bāṇavarṣaṁ kṛtvā aśvatthāmānaṁ ācchādayām āsa, tasya dhanuś ca ciccheda ||
Sañjaya berkata: Wahai Bhārata, meskipun ditembusi parah di medan perang oleh putera Droṇa, Arjuna yang berhati mulia, pemegang busur Gāṇḍīva, dengan gagah menurunkan hujan anak panah yang lebat hingga menutupi Aśvatthāmā daripada pandangan, bahkan memutuskan busurnya juga.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya conduct under extreme pressure: even when badly wounded, one must remain steady, respond with disciplined force, and neutralize danger by disarming the adversary—an ethic of duty and tactical restraint within the brutality of war.
Aśvatthāmā (Droṇa’s son) has severely wounded Arjuna. Arjuna counters by unleashing a dense volley of arrows that overwhelms and obscures Aśvatthāmā, and then Arjuna cuts Aśvatthāmā’s bow, depriving him of his primary weapon.