Shloka 28
Bhagadattā’s Deployment Against Ghaṭotkaca; Elephant-Corps Escalation
आदित्यकेतो: केतुं च छित्त्वा बाणेन संयुगे । भल्लेन भृशतीक्ष्णेन शिरश्रिच्छेद भारत,भारत! तदनन्तर भीमने रणक्षेत्रमें एक बाणसे आदित्यकेतुकी ध्वजा काटकर अत्यन्त तीखे भल्लके द्वारा उसका मस्तक भी काट दिया
ādityaketoḥ ketuṃ ca chittvā bāṇena saṃyuge | bhallena bhṛśatīkṣṇena śiraś ciccheda bhārata ||
Sañjaya sprach: Mitten in der Schlacht trennte Bhīma zuerst mit einem einzigen Pfeil Ādityaketus Banner ab; dann hieb er ihm mit einem rasiermesserscharfen bhalla den Kopf ab, o Bhārata. Der Vers betont die düstere Entschlossenheit kṣatriyischer Kriegführung, in der Können und Wille durch schnelle, tödliche Taten unter dem Anspruch der Pflicht auf dem Schlachtfeld sichtbar werden.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reality of kṣatriya-dharma in war: duty is carried out through decisive action, and martial excellence is shown in the ability to disable an opponent’s symbol of command (the banner) and then neutralize the foe. Ethically, it reflects the epic’s tension between necessary duty in battle and the tragic cost of violence.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīma, during the battle, first cuts down Ādityaketu’s banner with an arrow and then beheads Ādityaketu with a very sharp bhalla, marking a swift and lethal victory in that encounter.