Shloka 74
।। नदीनदं भूरिजलो महार्णवो यथा तथा तान् समरे<र्जुनो5ग्रसत्
nadīnadaṁ bhūrijalo mahārṇavo yathā tathā tān samare 'rjuno 'grasat
Karna disse: “Assim como o vasto oceano, inchado de águas abundantes, absorve os riachos e rios que nele deságuam, assim, naquela batalha, Arjuna parecia engolir aqueles guerreiros. Seus inimigos nem percebiam quando ele encaixava as melhores flechas no arco ou quando as soltava; e, no entanto, elefantes, cavalos e homens, trespassados por seus dardos, iam tombando um após outro, sem vida.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary skill and momentum in war can make resistance seem futile—like rivers vanishing into the ocean—while also reminding the listener of the grave human and animal cost of battle. It frames martial excellence within the kṣatriya world, where prowess is admired even by opponents, yet its results are starkly lethal.
Karna describes Arjuna’s overwhelming performance in the fight: Arjuna’s rapid, almost imperceptible arrow-work prevents enemies from tracking his actions, and the battlefield fills with elephants, horses, and men falling dead from his arrows.