Shloka 713
प्रपतन्तो हतारोहा: कम्पयन्ति सम मेदिनीम् । वहाँ भीमसेनके नाराचोंद्वारा मर्मस्थानोंमें घायल हुए हाथी सवारोंसहित धराशायी हो इस पृथ्वीको कम्पित कर देते थे
prapatanto hatārohāḥ kampayanti sma medinīm | tatra bhīmasenasya nārācair marmasthāneṣu viddhā hastisavārāḥ saha dharāśāyino bhūmim kampayanti sma |
Sañjaya said: As the riders were struck down, they fell headlong and made the earth tremble. There, elephant-warriors—pierced by Bhīmasena’s nārāca arrows in their vital points—collapsed along with their mounts, and their heavy fall shook the ground. The scene underscores the grim ethic of battlefield skill: precise force directed at vulnerable points brings swift, irreversible ruin, revealing war’s terrible cost even when valor is present.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reality of war: mastery and precision (striking vital points) can decide outcomes instantly, but the result is widespread suffering and destruction. It implicitly invites reflection on the moral weight and human cost that accompany even ‘righteous’ martial prowess.
Sañjaya describes Bhīma’s effective assault: using nārāca arrows he strikes elephant-riders in their vital points, causing them and their elephants to collapse. Their heavy fall makes the battlefield ground shake.