Shloka 36
विव्याध चैनं दशभि: पृषत्कै- मर्मस्वशड्कं प्रहसन् किरीटी
vivyādha cainaṁ daśabhiḥ pṛṣatkaiḥ marmasv aśaṅkaṁ prahasan kirīṭī
Sañjaya said: Laughing with fearless confidence, the diademed warrior (Arjuna) pierced him with ten arrows, striking at his vital points—an act that intensifies the ruthless momentum of battle where skill and resolve are tested against the limits of life and duty.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of resolute action in battle—fearless execution of one’s duty and mastery of skill—while also reminding that war drives actions toward lethal consequences, raising enduring ethical reflection on violence undertaken as dharma.
Sañjaya reports that Arjuna, identified by the epithet Kirīṭī, confidently and even laughingly shoots ten arrows at his opponent, striking the marma (vital points), thereby escalating the intensity and danger of the duel.