Shloka 80
जिघांसुभिस्तान् कुशल: शरोत्तमान् महाहवे सम्प्रहितान् प्रयत्नतः । शरै: प्रचिच्छेद स पाण्डवस्त्वरन् पराभिनद् वक्षसि चेषुभिस्त्रिभि:
jighāṃsubhis tān kuśalaḥ śarottamān mahāhave samprahitān prayatnataḥ | śaraiḥ praciccheda sa pāṇḍavas tvaran parābhinad vakṣasi ceṣubhis tribhiḥ ||
Karna berkata: Dalam pertempuran besar itu, Arjuna putera Pāṇḍu—mahir dalam perang—dengan pantas mematahkan dengan anak panahnya sendiri segala panah unggul yang dilepaskan dengan bersungguh-sungguh oleh para pahlawan yang berniat membunuh. Lalu, meneruskan serangan, dia menembusi dada setiap seorang dengan tiga batang anak panah.
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in its stark battlefield form: when attacked with lethal intent, a warrior must respond with alertness, skill, and decisive force. Ethical conduct here is not sentimental non-violence, but disciplined competence and duty-bound action within the rules of war.
Karna describes Arjuna’s rapid counter: he intercepts and cuts the incoming, well-aimed arrows shot by would-be killers, and then immediately retaliates by piercing their chests with three arrows each, asserting dominance in the exchange.