Shloka 12
शरास्तु कर्णार्जुनबाहुमुक्ता विदार्य नागाश्चमनुष्यदेहान् । प्राणान् निरस्याशु महीं प्रतीयु- महोरगा वासमिवातिताम्रा:
śarās tu karṇārjuna-bāhu-muktā vidārya nāgāṁś ca manuṣya-dehān | prāṇān nirasyāśu mahīṁ pratīyur mahā-uragā vāsaṁ ivātitāmrāḥ ||
Śalya berkata: “Anak panah yang dilepaskan dari lengan Karṇa dan Arjuna mengoyak tubuh gajah dan manusia; dengan pantas menghalau nafas hayat, lalu jatuh ke bumi—bagaikan ular-ular besar, batangnya yang kemerah-tembaga seolah-olah meluncur pulang ke sarangnya.”
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral gravity of war: extraordinary skill and valor, when exercised in battle, become a swift and indiscriminate instrument of death. It invites reflection on the ethical cost of martial excellence and the fragility of life.
Śalya describes the intensity of the duel: arrows shot by Karṇa and Arjuna pierce elephants and men, expel their life-breath, and then drop to the ground, compared to great serpents returning to their abode—an image emphasizing both speed and deadly inevitability.