Shloka 20
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे द्रौणिरभ्ययात् सुमहाबलम् | पार्षतं शत्रुदमनं शत्रुवीर्यासुनाशनम्,इसी समय शत्रुओंके बल और प्राणोंका नाश करनेवाले शत्रुसूदन महाबली धृष्टद्युम्नके पास द्रोणकुमार अश्वत्थामा आ पहुँचा
etasminn antare drauṇir abhyayāt sumahābalam | pārṣataṁ śatrudamanaṁ śatruvīryāsunāśanam ||
اسی اثنا میں درون کے بیٹے اشوتھاما نے—جو دشمنوں کو کچلنے والا اور دشمن سورماؤں کی قوت و جان کو مٹانے والا تھا—پِرشَت کے بیٹے، نہایت زورآور دھِرِشتَدیومن کی طرف پیش قدمی کی۔
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, renowned power and reputation (enemy-subduing, life-destroying prowess) can drive events toward lethal confrontation. It implicitly raises the ethical pressure of kṣatriya-dharma: martial duty proceeds amid personal animosities and escalating violence, reminding the listener that valor, when yoked to hostility, becomes a force that consumes lives.
Sañjaya reports that Aśvatthāmā, son of Droṇa, comes up to confront the mighty Dhṛṣṭadyumna (son of Pṛṣata), who is described as a formidable slayer and subduer of enemies. The scene sets up a direct clash between two major warriors at a critical moment in the battle.