Shloka 55
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena
स विद्धस्तै: शरैघरिद्रोंणपुत्र: प्रतापवान् उत्सृज्य समरे राजन् पाज्चाल्यममितौजसम्,राजन्! उन भयंकर बाणोंसे घायल हुआ प्रतापी वीर द्रोणपुत्र अश्वत्थामा समरांगणमें अमित बलशाली धृष्टद्यम्मको छोड़कर अपने रथपर जा चढ़ा। वह धनंजयके बाणोंसे अत्यन्त पीड़ित हो चुका था; इसलिये उसने भी श्रेष्ठ धनुष हाथमें लेकर बाणोंद्वारा अर्जुनको घायल कर दिया
sa viddhais taiḥ śarair ghorair droṇaputraḥ pratāpavān utsṛjya samare rājan pāñcālyam amitaujasam | rājan! tān bhayaṅkarabāṇair āhataḥ pratāpī vīro droṇaputro 'śvatthāmā samarāṅgaṇe amitabalavān dhṛṣṭadyumnam utsṛjya svārathaṃ samāruhya | sa dhanañjayabāṇair atyantaṃ pīḍitaḥ; tasmād so 'pi śreṣṭhadhanur gṛhītvā bāṇair arjunaṃ vyathayām āsa ||
Disse Sañjaya: Ó rei, o valente filho de Droṇa, Aśvatthāmā, traspassado por aquelas flechas terríveis, recuou em pleno combate, deixando o poderoso guerreiro pāñcāla Dhṛṣṭadyumna. Subiu então ao seu próprio carro e, atormentado pelos dardos de Dhanañjaya, empunhou seu arco excelente e, em resposta, feriu Arjuna com uma saraivada de flechas.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the self-perpetuating cycle of violence in war: being wounded leads to retaliation. It reflects the kṣatriya battlefield code where endurance and counter-attack are expected, while also implicitly showing how conflict escalates through reciprocal harm.
Aśvatthāmā, badly struck by Arjuna’s arrows, disengages from Dhṛṣṭadyumna and returns to his chariot. Despite his pain, he takes up his bow and shoots back, wounding Arjuna with arrows.