Shloka 38
स पाण्डवानां प्रवरै: सर्वतः समभिद्रुत: । उदीरयन ब्राह्ममस्त्रं शरैरापू्रयद् दिश:,पाण्डवपक्षके प्रमुख वीरोंद्वारा सब ओरसे आक्रान्त होनेपर कर्णने ब्रह्मास्त्र प्रकट करके बाणोंद्वारा सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंको आच्छादित कर दिया
sa pāṇḍavānāṁ pravaraiḥ sarvataḥ samabhidrutaḥ | udīrayan brāhmam astraṁ śarair āpūrayad diśaḥ ||
सञ्जय उवाच—स पाण्डवानां प्रवरैः सर्वतः समभिद्रुतः । उदीरयन् ब्राह्ममस्त्रं शरैरापूरयद्दिशः ॥
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension of warfare: when surrounded and pressured, a warrior may resort to supreme force. Such power displays valor, yet it also raises the question of restraint—how far one should escalate violence even when acting within a warrior’s duty.
Karna is attacked from all sides by leading Pāṇḍava fighters. In response, he invokes the Brāhmāstra and releases a dense barrage of arrows that seems to cover the quarters, pushing back the encirclement through overwhelming force.