Shloka 24
सारथिं च त्रिभिबाणैराजघान परंतप:
sārathiṁ ca tribhir bāṇair ājaghāna parantapaḥ |
Sinabi ni Sañjaya: Si Karṇa, tagapagpasakit ng mga kaaway, ay pinabagsak maging ang kutsero ni Sahadeva sa tatlong palaso. At sa kisap-mata, inalisan niya ng mga karwaheng pandigma ang mga anak ni Draupadī—isang kagila-gilalas na gawa, O pinakamainam sa mga Bharata.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, tactical strikes often target enabling supports (like charioteers and chariots), revealing the harsh reality of kṣatriya-conflict: excellence is praised as ‘adbhuta’ (astonishing), even when it involves lethal efficiency. It invites reflection on the tension between martial duty and the moral cost of violence.
Sañjaya reports that Karṇa shoots Sahadeva’s charioteer with three arrows, effectively disabling Sahadeva’s chariot operation. In the same rapid sequence (as the surrounding narration indicates), Karṇa also renders Draupadī’s sons chariotless, demonstrating swift battlefield dominance.