Shloka 88
ततस्त्रिभिस्तं त्रिदशाधिपोपमं शरैरबिभिदाधिरथिर्धनंजयम् । शरांश्व पञ्च ज्वलितानिवोरगान् प्रवेशयामास जिघांसयाच्युतम्,तदनन्तर अधिरथपुत्र कर्णने देवराज इन्द्रके समान पराक्रमी अर्जुनको तीन बाणोंसे बींध डाला और श्रीकृष्णको मार डालनेकी इच्छासे उनके शरीरमें प्रजजलित सर्पोके समान पाँच बाण घुसा दिये
tatas tribhis taṁ tridaśādhipopamaṁ śarair abibhidādhirathir dhanaṁjayam | śarāṁś ca pañca jvalitān ivoragān praveśayāmāsa jighāṁsayācyutam ||
Sanjaya said: Then Karna, the son of Adhiratha, pierced Dhananjaya (Arjuna)—who was like the lord of the gods—with three arrows. And, desiring to slay Achyuta (Krishna), he drove five more arrows into him, like blazing serpents. The verse underscores the war’s ruthless intensity: even Krishna, the charioteer and moral anchor of the Pandavas, becomes a direct target, revealing how vengeance and the thirst for victory can eclipse restraint on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in the fury of war, the drive to win can push warriors toward extreme acts—here, even aiming at Krishna. It invites reflection on restraint (dama) and discernment (viveka) amid conflict, and on how dharma is tested when anger and rivalry dominate.
Karna strikes Arjuna with three arrows. Then, intending to kill Krishna, he shoots five more arrows into Krishna’s body, described as entering like blazing serpents—an image emphasizing speed, heat, and lethal intent.