Shloka 20
तत् समीक्ष्य ततः कर्णों ब्रह्मास्त्रेण धनंजयम् | अभ्यवर्षत् पुनर्यत्नमकरोद् रथसर्जने,यह देख कर्णने अर्जुनपर ब्रह्मास्त्रका प्रयोग करके बाणोंकी झड़ी लगा दी और पुनः रथको उठानेका प्रयत्न किया
tat samīkṣya tataḥ karṇo brahmāstreṇa dhanañjayam | abhyavarṣat punar yatnam akarod rathasarjane ||
Sañjaya berkata: Melihat keadaan itu, Karṇa sekali lagi menghujani Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) dengan hujan anak panah dengan menggunakan Brahmāstra. Walaupun terus menekan serangan, dia juga berusaha sekali lagi untuk membebaskan dan mengangkat keretanya—menyingkap etika medan perang yang keras, bahawa seorang pahlawan mesti serentak teguh dalam kesukaran dan mengejar kemenangan dengan sarana paling dahsyat yang ada.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the battlefield ethic of sustained resolve: even amid setbacks (a chariot needing to be freed), a warrior continues his duty with focused effort, combining immediate practical action with the strategic use of powerful resources—raising questions about proportionality and responsibility in deploying supreme weapons.
Sañjaya reports that Karṇa, after assessing the moment, attacks Arjuna by invoking the Brahmāstra and showering him with arrows, while simultaneously attempting again to extricate and lift his chariot.