Shloka 2
अलंबलवधः (Alaṃbala-vadhaḥ) / The Slaying of Alaṃbala and the Advance toward Karṇa
संजय उवाच सैन्धवं निहतं दृष्टवा रणे पार्थेन भारत । अमर्षवशमापन्न: कृप: शारद्वतस्तत:,संजयने कहा--भरतनन्दन! सिंधुराजको अर्जुनके द्वारा रणभूमिमें मारा गया देख शरद्वानके पुत्र कृपाचार्य अमर्षके वशीभूत हो बाणकी भारी वर्षा करके पाण्डुपुत्र अर्जुनको आच्छादित करने लगे। राजन! द्रोणपुत्र अश्वत्थामाने भी रथपर बैठकर अर्जुनपर धावा किया
sañjaya uvāca
saindhavaṁ nihataṁ dṛṣṭvā raṇe pārthena bhārata |
amarṣavaśam āpannaḥ kṛpaḥ śāradvatas tataḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “O Bhārata, seeing Saindhava slain in battle by Pārtha (Arjuna), Kṛpa, the son of Śaradvat, was then seized by indignation. Overcome by wrath, he poured a fierce shower of arrows and sought to cover Arjuna on the battlefield—an immediate surge of retaliatory violence born from grief and wounded honor.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the death of a key ally triggers amarṣa—indignant rage—which can seize even respected elders and drive immediate retaliation. Ethically, it illustrates the Mahābhārata’s recurring warning: in war, emotions like wounded honor and grief can eclipse discernment, intensifying violence and complicating dharma.
After Arjuna kills Jayadratha (Saindhava) on the battlefield, Kṛpācārya, overwhelmed by indignation, responds by launching a heavy barrage of arrows aimed at overwhelming and covering Arjuna in combat.