Shloka 12
भीमसेनस्य बहुमहारथसंयुगः
Bhīmasena’s Engagement with Multiple Mahārathas
सुवर्णपुड्खैरिषुभिय्धपक्षै: सुतेजनै:
sañjaya uvāca — suvarṇapuṅkhair iṣubhir gṛdhrapakṣaiḥ sutejanaiḥ; karṇī-nālīka-nārācaiś ca pāṇḍavānāṃ senām ācchādayām āsa. tīkṣṇaiḥ śaraiḥ dhvajān ciccheda rathinaś ca nipapāta.
三阇耶说道：他以锋利的箭矢——金柄为干、鹫羽为翎——又以karṇī、nālīka、nārāca等兵器，遮蔽了般度军阵，如云蔽日。凭着锐箭，他斩落旗幡，连战车上的勇士也被射倒在地——这正是战争冷酷效率的写照：求胜之道，既折断荣誉的象征，也摧毁守护象征的战士。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the battlefield reality that skill and force can shatter both the outward emblems of honor (standards) and the warriors themselves. Ethically, it underscores the Mahābhārata’s tension: kṣatriya-duty demands combat, yet the narrative repeatedly reminds the listener of war’s harsh, dehumanizing momentum.
Sanjaya describes a fierce missile-assault in which the Pāṇḍava forces are ‘covered’ by volleys of sharp, well-made arrows and specialized missiles (karṇī, nālīka, nārāca). The attack severs banners and strikes down chariot-fighters, signaling a decisive, demoralizing pressure on the Pāṇḍava side at that moment.