Shloka 39
अध्याय ८८ — घटोत्कच-दुर्योधनयुद्धवर्णनम्
Ghaṭotkaca–Duryodhana Engagement
गदापि सा प्राप्य रथं सुचित्रं साश्वं ससूतं विनिहत्य संख्ये । जगाम भूमिं ज्वलिता महोल्का भ्रष्टाम्बराद् गामिव सम्पतन्ती,वह गदा भी चित्रसेनके विचित्र रथपर पहुँचकर उसे घोड़े और सारथिसहित चूर-चूर करके आकाशसे टूटकर पृथ्वीपर गिरनेवाली जलती हुई विशाल उल्काके समान रणभूमिमें जा गिरी
gadāpi sā prāpya rathaṃ sucitraṃ sāśvaṃ sasūtaṃ vinihatya saṅkhye | jagāma bhūmiṃ jvalitā maholkā bhraṣṭāmbarād gām iva sampatantī ||
Sañjaya said: That mace, having reached the splendidly adorned chariot with its horses and charioteer, smashed it to pieces in the thick of battle. Then it plunged to the earth like a great blazing meteor, falling down from the sky.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the terrifying immediacy of battlefield power: weapons, once unleashed, can annihilate not only the intended warrior but also the supporting means (chariot, horses, charioteer). Ethically, it evokes the Mahābhārata’s recurring reflection that martial prowess must be governed by dharma, because violence spreads beyond a single target.
Sañjaya describes a mace flying into a richly decorated chariot and pulverizing it along with its horses and charioteer. After the impact, the mace falls to the ground, compared to a blazing meteor plunging from the sky.