Shloka 32
Arjuna’s Advance toward Bhīṣma; The Gāṇḍīva’s Signal and the Armies’ Convergence (भीष्माभिमुखगमनम् — गाण्डीवनिर्घोष-ध्वजवर्णनम्)
अभिपत्य महाबाहुर्गरुत्मानिव वेगित: । सेनापते: क्षुरप्रेण शिरश्षिच्छेद पाण्डव:,महाबली महाबाहु वीर भीमसेन आपके पुत्रोंको देखकर पशुओंके बीचमें खड़े हुए भेड़ियेके समान अपने मुहके दोनों कोनोंको चाटते हुए गरुड़के समान बड़े वेगसे उनके सामने गये। वहाँ पहुँचकर पाण्डुकुमारने क्षुरप्र नामक बाणसे सेनापतिका सिर काट लिया
sañjaya uvāca |
abhipatya mahābāhur garutmān iva vegitaḥ |
senāpateḥ kṣurapreṇa śiraś ciccheda pāṇḍavaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: The mighty-armed Pāṇḍava, swift as Garuḍa, charged forward and, with a razor-edged arrow, severed the commander’s head.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
In the battlefield setting, the verse highlights the Kṣatriya ideal of decisive action and fearlessness; ethically, it points to the grim reality that war demands swift, often irreversible deeds, inviting reflection on the heavy moral cost that accompanies victory.
Sanjaya describes a Pāṇḍava warrior rushing forward with great speed and cutting off the commander-in-chief’s head using a razor-edged arrow (kṣurapra), marking a sudden and decisive turn in the combat.