Shloka 22
अध्याय ६० — कर्णस्य पाञ्चाल-सोमक-निग्रहः
Karna’s Suppression of the Panchala–Somaka Forces
तां छित्त्वा समरे कर्णस्त्रिभिर्भारत सायकै: । शिखण्डिनमथाविध्यन्नवभिनिशितै: शरै:,भारत! समरांगणमें तीन बाणोंद्वारा उस शक्तिको काटकर कर्णने नौ तीखे बाणोंसे शिखण्डीको भी घायल कर दिया
tāṃ chittvā samare karṇas tribhir bhārata sāyakaiḥ | śikhaṇḍinam athāvidhyan navabhir niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ ||
三阇耶说道：战阵之中，迦尔那以三箭截断那件兵器；继而，婆罗多啊，他又以九支锐箭刺伤尸佉ṇḍin。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the battlefield ethic of the kshatriya: swift, decisive action and technical mastery. At the same time, it implicitly reminds the listener that war proceeds through escalating acts of harm, where prowess does not erase the moral gravity of violence.
Sanjaya reports that Karna first severs a powerful weapon (śakti) with three arrows and then immediately turns his attack on Shikhandin, wounding him with nine sharpened arrows amid the ongoing combat.