Shloka 28
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 54 — Missile-Exchange and Tactical Redirection
Arjuna, Aśvatthāman, Karṇa
स चापि वैकर्तनमर्दयित्वा साश्व॑ं ससूतं सरथं पृषत्कै: । तमाववर्ष प्रसभं किरीटी पितामहं द्रोणकृपौ च दृष्टवा
sa cāpi vaikartanam ardayitvā sāśvaṃ sasūtaṃ sarathaṃ pṛṣatkaiḥ | tam āvavarṣa prasabhaṃ kirīṭī pitāmahaṃ droṇakṛpau ca dṛṣṭvā ||
स चापि वैकर्तनमर्दयित्वा साश्वं ससूतं सरथं पृषत्कैः । तमाववर्ष प्रसभं किरीटी पितामहं द्रोणकृपौ च दृष्ट्वा ॥
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between decisive martial duty and moral awareness: Arjuna acts with uncompromising force against a chief opponent, yet his glance toward Bhīṣma, Droṇa, and Kṛpa signals the ethical weight of fighting revered elders within a righteous-war framework.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Arjuna (Kirīṭī) has already struck and distressed Karṇa (Vaikartana), along with his chariot-team and charioteer, and then intensifies the assault by raining arrows upon him, while noticing Bhīṣma, Droṇa, and Kṛpa nearby.