Shloka 21
Bhīṣma–Karṇa Saṃvāda on the Śaraśayyā (भीष्म–कर्ण संवादः शरशय्यायाम्)
पुत्रस्तु तव त॑ दृष्टवा भीमार्जुनपराक्रमम् । गाड़ेयस्य रथाभ्याशमुपजग्मे महाबल:
sañjaya uvāca |
putras tu tava taṁ dṛṣṭvā bhīmārjunaparākramam |
gāṅgeyasya rathābhyāśam upajagme mahābalaḥ ||
ekaikaṁ tribhir ānarccchat kaṅkukabarhiṇavājitaiḥ |
śuśarmāṇaṁ ca kṛpācāryaṁ ca tribhir eva vyadhat ||
prāgjyotiṣanṛpaṁ bhagadattaṁ sindhurājaṁ jayadratham |
citrasenaṁ vikarṇaṁ ca kṛtavarmāṇam eva ca |
durmīṣaṇaṁ tathā vīrau vindānuvindau mahārathau |
etān ekaikaṁ tribhir iṣubhir gṛdhrapakṣopamaiḥ pīḍayām āsa ||
三阇耶说道：见到毗摩与阿周那那般威势，你的儿子——强悍的难敌——便趋近恒河之子毗湿摩的战车。在战场上，他以三支兀鹫翎羽之箭射向每一人：以三矢贯穿须舍摩与师长克利波；又同样以三矢使普罗阇约提沙之王婆伽达多、信度王阇耶陀罗他、质多罗塞那、毗迦尔那、克利多伐摩、杜尔弥沙那，以及大车战士温达与阿奴温达——各各受其剧痛。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how martial pride and fear operate together: even a powerful leader, stirred by the prowess of opponents (Bhīma and Arjuna), seeks proximity to an elder authority (Bhīṣma) while escalating violence. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between kṣatriya duty (display of valor) and the widening harm that war unleashes.
Sañjaya reports that Duryodhana, seeing Bhīma and Arjuna’s valor, goes near Bhīṣma’s chariot. In the battle he shoots multiple named warriors—Śuśarmā, Kṛpa, Bhagadatta, Jayadratha, Citraseṇa, Vikarṇa, Kṛtavarman, Durmīṣaṇa, Vinda, and Anuvinda—each with three arrows, described as feathered like vulture wings.