तान् अन्तरिक्षे विशिखैस् त्रिधैकैकम् अशातयत् ॥
विशेषयन् सूतपुत्रं भीमस् तिष्ठेति चाब्रवीत् ॥
पुनश् चासृजद् उग्राणि शरवर्षाणि पाण्डवः ॥
अमर्षी बलवान् क्रुद्धो दिधक्षन्न् इव पावकः ॥
तस्य तान्य् आददे कर्णः सर्वाण्य् अस्त्राण्य् अभीतवत् ॥
युध्यतः पाण्डुपुत्रस्य सूतपुत्रो ऽस्त्रमायया ॥
तस्येषुधी धनुर्ज्यां च बाणैः संनतपर्वभिः ॥
रश्मीन् योक्त्राणि चाश्वानां कर्णो वैकर्तनो ऽच्छिनत् ॥
tān antarikṣe viśikhais tridhaikaikam aśātayat ||
viśeṣayan sūtaputraṃ bhīmas tiṣṭheti cābravīt ||
punaś cāsṛjad ugrāṇi śaravarṣāṇi pāṇḍavaḥ ||
amarṣī balavān kruddho didhakṣann iva pāvakaḥ ||
tasya tāny ādade karṇaḥ sarvāṇy astrāṇy abhītavat ||
yudhyataḥ pāṇḍuputrasya sūtaputro 'stramāyayā ||
tasyeṣudhī dhanurjyāṃ ca bāṇaiḥ saṃnataparvabhiḥ ||
raśmīn yoktrāṇi cāśvānāṃ karṇo vaikartano 'cchinat ||
Those [arrows of Karna] Bhima cut in the air with his own arrows, each into three, surpassing the son of the suta, and said: 'Stand!' And again the Pandava unleashed fierce showers of arrows, impatient, strong, enraged, like a fire wishing to burn. All those astras Karna received fearlessly, [facing] the fighting son of Pandu, the son of the suta, by his craft of astras. Karna Vaikartana cut his two quivers and bowstring with arrows of smooth joints, and the reins and harness of the horses.
bc930de960c3 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:25:13 PM UTC
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Bhima cuts each arrow into three and hurls at his foe the word 'Stand!' — skill speaking louder than words. It is telling that Karna receives his astras 'fearlessly,' meeting craft with craft: a duel of equals is an encounter of matched skill. The verse teaches that in a clash of masters the victor is not the boaster but the doer; and one who answers a fearsome challenge with calm skill shows a valor no less than the daring of the challenge itself.