Shloka 16
Jayadrathasya varaprāptiḥ (जयद्रथस्य वरप्राप्तिः) — Jayadratha’s boon and the restraint of the Pāṇḍava advance
सायुधा: साड्गुलित्राणा: सगदा: साड्दा रणे । दृश्यन्ते बाहवश्छिन्ना हेमाभरणभूषिता:,उस युद्धमें आयुध, दस्ताने, गदा और बाजूबंदसहित वीरोंकी सुवर्णभूषण-भूषित भुजाएँ कटकर गिरी दिखायी देती थीं
sāyudhāḥ sāṅgulitrāṇāḥ sagadāḥ sāṅgadā raṇe | dṛśyante bāhavaś chinnā hemābharaṇabhūṣitāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: In that battle, severed arms could be seen strewn about—still bearing weapons, still protected by finger-guards, still gripping maces, still adorned with armlets—glittering with golden ornaments. The scene underscores the terrible cost of war: valor and splendor remain outwardly visible even as life is cut down, reminding the listener that martial glory is inseparable from suffering and moral consequence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim reality behind martial splendor: even arms adorned with gold and equipped for heroism are cut down in war. It implicitly cautions that external glory and weaponry do not negate the suffering and moral weight produced by violence.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield scene to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: severed warriors’ arms, still holding weapons and wearing protective gear and ornaments, are visible on the field—an intense visual of the carnage during the Drona Parva battles.