Shloka 6
Irāvān-nidhana-anantaraṃ Ghaṭotkaca-nādaḥ
After Irāvān’s fall: Ghaṭotkaca’s roar and the clash with Duryodhana
अथापरेण भल््लेन केतुं तस्य महात्मन: । रथश्रेष्ठो रथात् तूर्ण भूमौ पार्थो न््यपातयत्,तत्पश्चात् रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ कुन्तीपुत्र युधिष्ठिने भल्ल नामक दूसरे बाणसे महामना श्रुतायुके ध्वजको काटकर तुरंत ही रथसे पृथ्वीपर गिरा दिया
atha apareṇa bhallena ketuṁ tasya mahātmanaḥ | rathaśreṣṭho rathāt tūrṇaṁ bhūmau pārtho nyapātayat ||
Then, with another broad-headed arrow, Pārtha—the foremost of chariot-warriors—severed the banner of that great-souled fighter and swiftly brought it down from the chariot to the ground.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined martial excellence within kshatriya-dharma: victory is pursued through skill and strategy, and symbolic targets like a banner (ketu) represent morale and honor. The ethical undertone is controlled force—asserting superiority by disabling an emblem and momentum rather than indulging in needless brutality.
Sanjaya narrates that Arjuna (Partha), using another bhalla arrow, cuts down the opponent’s chariot-banner and makes it fall from the chariot to the ground, marking a swift tactical and psychological blow in the battle.