Shloka 6
Chapter 12: Arjuna’s suppression of the Saṃśaptakas and duel with Aśvatthāmā
Drauṇi
तैः स्फुरद्धिर्मही भाति रक्ताड्गुलितलैस्तथा । गरुडप्रहितैरुग्रै: पजचास्यैरुरगैरिव,जिनके तलवे और अंगुलियाँ लाल रंगकी थीं, उन तड़पती हुई भुजाओंसे रणभूमिकी वैसी ही शोभा हो रही थी, मानो वहाँ गरुड़के गिराये हुए भयंकर पंचमुख सर्प छटपटा रहे हों भीमसेनस्तथा द्रौणिं कुर्वाणं कर्म दुष्करम् | विन्दानुविन्दौ कैकेयौ सात्यकि: समवारयत् भीमसेनने दुष्कर कर्म करते हुए अश्वत्थामाको तथा सात्यकिने केकयदेशीय विन्द और अनुविन्दको रोका
taiḥ sphuraddhir mahī bhāti raktāṅgulitalais tathā | garuḍaprahitair ugraiḥ pañcāsyair uragair iva || bhīmasenas tathā drauṇiṃ kurvāṇaṃ karma duṣkaram | vindānuvindau kaikeyau sātyakiḥ samavārayat ||
Sañjaya said: The earth shone with those twitching severed arms, their palms and fingers stained red, as if fierce five-hooded serpents, dropped by Garuḍa, were writhing there. At the same time, Bhīmasena checked Droṇa’s son Aśvatthāmā as he attempted a deed hard to accomplish; and Sātyaki held back the Kekaya princes Vinda and Anuvinda. The scene underscores the brutal momentum of war, where valor and restraint alike become instruments of duty amid pervasive violence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension of righteous warfare: even when violence becomes overwhelming, warriors are portrayed as acting within roles of duty—checking dangerous opponents and preventing decisive, potentially catastrophic actions. It also uses vivid simile to remind the listener of war’s dehumanizing cost.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield strewn with twitching severed arms, compared to fierce serpents dropped by Garuḍa. In the same moment, Bhīma restrains Aśvatthāmā (Droṇa’s son) as he attempts a difficult exploit, while Sātyaki holds back the Kekaya princes Vinda and Anuvinda.