Shloka 753
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 94: Sātyaki–Sudarśana Yuddha (सात्यकि–सुदर्शन युद्ध)
अशोभत महाबाहुर्व्यसुर्भूमी निपातित: । अपने मस्तकपर अग्निके समान दमकते हुए सुवर्णमय हारको धारण किये महाबाहु सुदक्षिण यद्यपि प्राणशून्य करके पृथ्वीपर गिराया गया था, तथापि उस अवस्थामें भी उसकी बड़ी शोभा हो रही थी
aśobhat mahābāhur vyasur bhūmau nipātitaḥ | apane mastakapar agnike samāna damakate hue suvarṇamaya hārako dhāraṇa kiye mahābāhu sudakṣiṇa yadyapi prāṇaśūnya karke pṛthvīpar girāyā gayā thā, tathāpi us avasthāmeṃ bhī uskī baṛī śobhā ho rahī thī |
Sañjaya said: “Though the mighty-armed Sudakṣiṇa had been struck down lifeless upon the earth, he still appeared splendid. Wearing upon his head a golden garland blazing like fire, even in death his form retained a striking radiance—an image of warriorly dignity amid the ruin of battle.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the Mahābhārata’s recurring contrast between the destructiveness of war and the enduring ideal of kṣatriya honor: even when life is gone, the marks of valor and dignity (ornaments, bearing, reputation) can still command respect—while also hinting at impermanence, since such splendor remains only as a fleeting appearance over a fallen body.
Sañjaya describes a battlefield sight: the warrior Sudakṣiṇa has been slain and lies on the ground, yet his body still looks magnificent, adorned with a golden garland shining like fire. The narration heightens the pathos and grandeur of the war scene by portraying beauty persisting even in death.