Shloka 573
Adhyāya 18 — Sequential Duels and Formation Pressure
Ulūka–Yuyutsu; Śakuni–Sutasoma; Kṛpa–Dhṛṣṭadyumna; Kṛtavarmā–Śikhaṇḍin
भित्त्वा प्रहरतां श्रेष्ठो विदेहासूनपातयत् । प्रहार करनेवाले योद्धाओंमें श्रेष्ठ पाण्डय अपने तीखे बाणोंसे हाथी
bhittvā praharatāṃ śreṣṭho videhāsūn apātayat |
Sañjaya said: The foremost among those striking in battle, he pierced the bodies of elephants, horses, and men with his razor-sharp arrows, stripping them of body and breath and casting them down upon the earth. The scene underscores the grim, duty-driven ferocity of war, where martial excellence becomes inseparable from widespread destruction.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh ethical tension of dharma in war: martial excellence and steadfast performance of a warrior’s role can coexist with immense suffering. It invites reflection on how duty (svadharma) in a righteous cause still carries tragic human cost.
Sañjaya describes a powerful warrior on the battlefield who, with sharp arrows, pierces and kills elephants, horses, and human fighters, felling them lifeless to the ground—an image of intense combat and overwhelming prowess.