Shloka 23
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 54 — Missile-Exchange and Tactical Redirection
Arjuna, Aśvatthāman, Karṇa
स पाण्डवस्तूर्णमुदीर्णकोप: कृतागसं कर्णमुदीक्ष्य हर्षात् । क्षणेन साक्षं सरथं ससारथि- मन्तर्दधे घोरशरौघवृष्ट्या
sa pāṇḍavas tūrṇam udīrṇakopaḥ kṛtāgasaṃ karṇam udīkṣya harṣāt | kṣaṇena sākṣaṃ sarathaṃ sasārathim antardadhe ghorśaraughavṛṣṭyā ||
Sinabi ni Vaiśaṃpāyana: Nang makita ni Arjuna, anak ni Pāṇḍu, si Karṇa—ang nagkasala—sa harap niya, biglang nag-alab ang kanyang galit. Ngunit kasabay nito’y sumiklab din ang kanyang siglang pandigma; agad siyang nagpaulan ng nakapanghihilakbot na mga palaso at sa isang iglap ay tinakpan si Karṇa—kasama ang mga kabayo, karwahe, at ang tagapagpatakbo nito. Ipinakikita ng tagpong ito na ang galit na may katuwiran ay maaaring sumabay sa alab ng pakikidigma, at ang tugon ng mandirigma’y itinuturing na pagganti sa maling gawa, hindi lamang personal na poot.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how a warrior’s anger is portrayed as morally charged—directed at an offender (kṛtāgasaṃ)—and how martial action is framed as a swift, decisive response to wrongdoing. It also shows the coexistence of kopa (wrath) and harṣa (exhilarated zeal) in the kṣatriya ethos.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Arjuna, upon seeing Karṇa, becomes intensely angry and immediately releases a terrifying rain of arrows, so dense that Karṇa is covered from view along with his chariot and charioteer (and, by context, his horses as well).