Shloka 77
शरोत्तमान् सम्प्रहितान् महारथै- श्रिच्छेद पार्थ: प्रहसन् शरौचै: । भूयश्व तानहनद् बाणसड्घान् गाण्डीवधन्वायतपूर्णमण्डल:
śarottamān samprahitān mahārathaiḥ śiccheda pārthaḥ prahasan śaraughaiḥ | bhūyaś ca tān ahanad bāṇa-saṅghān gāṇḍīva-dhanvāyata-pūrṇa-maṇḍalaḥ ||
Karna disse: “As melhores flechas lançadas pelos grandes guerreiros de carro foram cortadas por Partha (Arjuna), que, sorrindo, as enfrentou com torrentes de seus próprios dardos. Repetidas vezes ele golpeou aquelas massas de flechas; com o Gāṇḍīva retesado ao máximo, descrevendo um arco como um círculo perfeito, ele fez chover saraivadas sobre as hostes kauravas inimigas.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya discipline: skill joined with steadiness of mind. Arjuna’s smiling composure amid danger suggests mastery over fear and anger, using strength with controlled intent rather than panic—an ethical ideal for warriors in the epic.
During the Karṇa Parva battle, Kaurava great warriors unleash excellent arrows. Arjuna counters by cutting them down with dense arrow-streams and then repeatedly showers volleys, drawing the Gāṇḍīva to its full arc, overwhelming the opposing forces.