Shloka 35
कर्णनिधनश्रवणम् — Hearing of Karṇa’s Fall and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament
तथैव पौरवो राजा नागायुतबलो महान् । समरे पाण्डुपुत्रेण निहत: सव्यसाचिना,इसी प्रकार दस हजार हाथियोंके समान बलशाली महान् राजा पौरवको समरांगणमें पाण्डुकुमार सव्यसाची अर्जुनने मार डाला
tathaiva pauravo rājā nāgāyutabalō mahān | samare pāṇḍuputreṇa nihataḥ savyasācinā ||
Sañjaya said: In the same manner, the great king Paurava—mighty with the strength of ten thousand elephants—was slain on the battlefield by the Pāṇḍu prince Arjuna, famed as Savyasācin.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the sobering ethic of the Kurukṣetra war: worldly power and royal stature do not shield one from the consequences of righteous conflict and the inevitability of death. It also reflects the epic’s emphasis on kṣatriya-duty, where decisive action in battle carries grave moral weight.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna (Savyasācin), a son of Pāṇḍu, slew the great king Paurava in battle—describing Paurava’s immense strength metaphorically as equal to ten thousand elephants.