Shloka 18
तेषां चतुःशतान् वीरान् यतमानान् महारथान् । अर्जुनो निशितैर्बाणैरनयद् यमसादनम्
teṣāṁ catuḥśatān vīrān yatamānān mahārathān | arjuno niśitair bāṇair anayad yamasādanam ||
Sañjaya sprach: Während jene vierhundert Helden, große Wagenkämpfer, sich im Kampf abmühten, sandte Arjuna sie mit seinen pfeilscharfen, wie Rasierklingen geschliffenen Geschossen in Yamas Wohnstatt—ein Bild der unerbittlichen moralischen Schwere des Krieges, in dem Können und Entschlossenheit doch auf die unausweichliche Folge des Todes treffen.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the inexorable consequence of war: even the most capable and determined warriors are subject to death. It implicitly reflects kṣatriya-dharma’s harsh arena—valor and effort do not nullify mortality, and actions in battle carry grave ethical weight.
Sañjaya reports that Arjuna, using sharp arrows, slew (sent to Yama’s abode) four hundred great chariot-warriors who were actively striving in combat, highlighting Arjuna’s overwhelming martial effectiveness in this phase of the Kurukṣetra war.