Shloka 6
कर्णार्जुनसमागमः — The Karṇa–Arjuna Confrontation
Cosmic Spectatorship and Vows
यद् यद्धि व्याक्षिपद् युद्धे पाण्डवो<5स्त्रजिघांसया । तत् तदस्त्रं महेष्वासो द्रोणपुत्रो व्यशातयत्
yad yaddhi vyākṣipad yuddhe pāṇḍavo 'strajighāṃsayā | tat tadastraṃ maheṣvāso droṇaputro vyaśātayat ||
Disse Sañjaya: Na batalha, qualquer míssil que o Pāṇḍava (Arjuna) lançasse com a intenção de destruir as armas do adversário, essa mesma arma era repetidamente cortada e anulada no campo pelo grande arqueiro, o filho de Droṇa—Aśvatthāmā.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how, in war, technical mastery and timely countermeasures can nullify even powerful attacks. Ethically, it also reflects the grim momentum of combat: intent (jighāṃsā) and skill combine to intensify violence, reminding readers that prowess in arms does not by itself resolve the deeper moral tragedy of war.
Sañjaya describes a duel-like exchange: Arjuna launches various astras to destroy or overcome the opponent’s weaponry, but Aśvatthāmā, famed as Droṇa’s son and a great archer, cuts down each incoming missile, preventing Arjuna’s weapons from taking effect on the battlefield.