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,तब अर्जुनने भी घोड़े, सारथि एवं रथसहित कर्णको बाणोंद्वारा पीड़ित करके पितामह भीष्म, द्रोणाचार्य और कृपाचार्यकी ओर देखते हुए कर्णपर हठपूर्वक बाणोंकी वर्षा प्रारम्भ की
sa cāpi vaikartanam ardayitvā sāśvaṃ sasūtaṃ sarathaṃ pṛṣatkaiḥ | tam āvavarṣa prasabhaṃ kirīṭī pitāmahaṃ droṇakṛpau ca dṛṣṭvā ||
تب کِریٹ دھاری ارجن نے ویکرتن کرن کو—اس کے گھوڑوں، سارتھی اور رتھ سمیت—تیروں سے ستا کر، پِتامہ بھیشم اور درون و کرپ کی طرف نگاہ ڈالتے ہوئے، کرن پر بے دریغ تیر برسانا شروع کر دیا۔
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.