Shloka 8
Adhyāya 21 — Duryodhanasya bāṇavarṣaḥ
Duryodhana’s Arrow-Storm and the Dust-Obscured Engagements
स समासाद्य राजान क्षेमधूर्ति महाबलम् । सप्तभिर्निशितैर्बाणैरनयद् यमसादनम्,उन्होंने आते ही महाबली राजा क्षेमधूर्तिको सात पैने बाणोंसे मारकर यमलोक पहुँचा दिया
sa samāsādya rājānaṁ kṣemadhūrtiṁ mahābalam | saptabhir niśitair bāṇair anayad yamasādanam ||
Sañjaya sprach: Als er den mächtigen König Kṣemadhūrti erreicht hatte, traf er ihn mit sieben rasiermesserscharfen Pfeilen und sandte ihn in Yamas Wohnstatt—so endete sein Leben auf dem Schlachtfeld im unerbittlichen Lauf des Krieges.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the stark moral atmosphere of Kurukṣetra: in war, especially kṣatriya-conflict, death comes swiftly through skill and force, reminding the listener of life’s fragility and the inexorable reach of Yama (mortality).
Sañjaya reports that a warrior (implied from the prior context) advances on King Kṣemadhūrti and kills him with seven sharp arrows, metaphorically described as sending him to Yama’s dwelling—i.e., causing his death.