Shloka 16
अन्धकार-रजःसंमूढे रणाङ्गणे प्रदीपप्रकाशः | Illumination of the Army in Darkness and Dust
ते तस्य कवचं भिन्त्वा तथा बाहुं च दक्षिणम् अभ्ययुर्धरणीं तीक्ष्णा वल्मीकमिव पन्नगा:,वे तीखे बाण कर्णके कवच तथा दाहिनी भुजाको विदीर्ण करके बाँबीमें घुसनेवाले सर्पोंके समान धरतीमें समा गये
te tasya kavacaṁ bhittvā tathā bāhuṁ ca dakṣiṇam | abhyayur dharaṇīṁ tīkṣṇā valmīkam iva pannagāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Having pierced his armour and also his right arm, those sharp arrows plunged into the earth—like serpents slipping into an anthill.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the stark mechanics of war: even strong protection (armour) fails before determined force (sharp arrows). Ethically, it serves as a reminder of the grave cost of conflict and the fragility of the body amid kṣatriya warfare.
Sañjaya describes arrows that, after piercing a warrior’s armour and right arm, continue onward and sink into the earth, compared to snakes entering an anthill—emphasizing their speed, sharpness, and unstoppable momentum.