Shloka 39
अलायुधस्य भीमवधसंकल्पः
Alāyudha’s Resolve to Confront Bhīma
तदयं भरतश्रेष्ठ भ्राता तेडद्य यदर्जुन: । सैन्यक्षयं रणे कृत्वा सिन्धुराजशिरो5हरत्,“भरतश्रेष्ठ) इसीलिये आज आपके इस छोटे भाई अर्जुनने संग्राममें शत्रुसेनाका संहार करके सिंधुराजका सिर काट लिया है”
tad ayaṃ bharataśreṣṭha bhrātā te ’dya yad arjunaḥ | sainyakṣayaṃ raṇe kṛtvā sindhurājaśiro ’harat ||
Sañjaya said: “Therefore, O best of the Bharatas, your brother Arjuna—having wrought the destruction of the enemy host in battle—has today taken the head of the king of Sindhu. The deed is presented as the fulfilment of a vowed purpose amid the harsh demands of war, where personal resolve and martial duty converge.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in the epic’s war-ethic, a kṣatriya’s duty and a solemn resolve can drive decisive action with grave consequences. It also underscores accountability in conflict: the narrative frames Jayadratha’s end as the outcome of prior deeds and the fulfilment of Arjuna’s pledged purpose.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna has devastated the opposing forces in battle and has killed the Sindhu king Jayadratha by taking his head—announcing the completion of a critical wartime objective.