Shloka 6

Devanagari script

ते5पतन्त हता बाणैर्नानारूपै: किरीटिना । सविमाना यथा सिद्धा: स्वर्गात्‌ पुण्यक्षये तथा,किरीटधारी अर्जुनके चलाये हुए नाना प्रकारके बाणोंसे मारे जाकर वे संशप्तक रथी पुण्यक्षय होनेपर विमानसहित स्वर्गसे गिरनेवाले सिद्धोंक समान रथसे नीचे गिर पड़े

Transliteration

te ’patanta hatā bāṇair nānārūpaiḥ kirīṭinā | savimānā yathā siddhāḥ svargāt puṇyakṣaye tathā ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Struck by the many-shaped arrows loosed by the diademed Arjuna, those Saṁśaptaka chariot-warriors fell from their cars—like perfected beings who, when their merit is spent, drop from heaven with their celestial vehicles.

Word by Word

तेthey (those)

अपतन्तfell down

हताःslain

बाणैःby arrows

नाना-रूपैःof various forms

किरीटिनाby the diadem-wearer (Arjuna)

स-विमानाःtogether with their aerial cars

यथाas / just as

सिद्धाःthe Siddhas (perfected beings)

स्वर्गात्from heaven

पुण्य-क्षयेwhen merit is exhausted

तथाso / likewise

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Arjuna (Kirīṭin)

Saṁśaptakas

Siddhas

Svarga (heaven)

Bāṇas (arrows)

Ratha (chariot)

Vimāna (celestial vehicle)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The simile of Siddhas falling from heaven at the exhaustion of merit teaches impermanence: even exalted states depend on accumulated puṇya and can end. In the war context, it hints that martial glory and reward are contingent, and lasting good is tied to dharma rather than mere prowess.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna (Kirīṭin) shoots diverse arrows that kill the Saṁśaptaka chariot-fighters, causing them to tumble from their chariots, compared to heavenly Siddhas falling from Svarga when their merit runs out.