Shloka 74
।। नदीनदं भूरिजलो महार्णवो यथा तथा तान् समरे<र्जुनो5ग्रसत्
nadīnadaṁ bhūrijalo mahārṇavo yathā tathā tān samare 'rjuno 'grasat
Karna berkata: “Seperti lautan maha luas yang sarat air menyerap segala sungai dan aliran yang masuk ke dalamnya, demikianlah di medan itu Arjuna seakan-akan menelan para pahlawan tersebut. Musuh tidak sempat melihat bila dia memasang anak panah terbaik pada busurnya atau bila dia melepaskannya; namun gajah, kuda, dan manusia yang ditembusi panah Arjuna terus rebah bertimpa-timpa, tidak bernyawa.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary skill and momentum in war can make resistance seem futile—like rivers vanishing into the ocean—while also reminding the listener of the grave human and animal cost of battle. It frames martial excellence within the kṣatriya world, where prowess is admired even by opponents, yet its results are starkly lethal.
Karna describes Arjuna’s overwhelming performance in the fight: Arjuna’s rapid, almost imperceptible arrow-work prevents enemies from tracking his actions, and the battlefield fills with elephants, horses, and men falling dead from his arrows.