Shloka 716
Adhyāya 141 — Night duels: Śaineya and Bhūriśravas; Droṇi and Ghaṭotkaca; Bhīma and Duryodhana
पपात भुवि राजेन्द्र क्रुद्ध: सर्प इवाम्बरात् । राजेन्द्र! वह बड़ी तलवार आकाशसे कुपित सर्पकी भाँति आकर सूतपुत्र कर्णके प्रत्यंचासहित धनुषको काटती हुई पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़ी
sañjaya uvāca | papāta bhuvi rājendra kruddhaḥ sarpa ivāmbarāt |
قال سنجيا: أيها الملك، سقط ذلك السلاح على الأرض كأفعى غاضبة تهوي من السماء. أيها الملك، إن تلك السيف العظيمة أقبلت كحيةٍ ثائرة، فقطعت قوس كارنا، ابن السائق، مع وتره، ثم وقعت على التراب.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the instability of power in war: even formidable instruments can be abruptly brought down. The serpent-from-the-sky simile conveys how anger and violence descend suddenly, reminding the listener that battlefield success is fragile and often governed by forces beyond mere skill.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that something (contextually, a weapon or key martial implement) drops to the ground with the force and menace of an enraged serpent falling from the sky, marking a sudden turn in the combat situation.