Shloka 83
Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
शिरो गृहीत्वा केशेषु कबन्ध: सम प्रदृश्यते । उद्यम्य च शितं खड््गं रुधिरेण परिप्लुतम्,वहाँ कोई-कोई कबन्ध (धड़) ऐसा दिखायी दिया, जो एक हाथमें शत्रुके कटे हुए मस्तकको केशसहित पकड़े हुए और दूसरे हाथमें खूनसे रँगी हुई तीखी तलवार उठाये खड़ा था
śiro gṛhītvā keśeṣu kabandhaḥ sama pradṛśyate | udyamya ca śitaṃ khaḍgaṃ rudhireṇa pariplutam |
Sañjaya said: “In that dreadful battlefield, one could see here and there a headless trunk, as if still alive—standing with one hand gripping an enemy’s severed head by its hair, and with the other raising a sharp sword drenched in blood.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dehumanizing horror of war: even bodies seem to act on, symbolizing how violence can overpower normal moral sensibility. It implicitly warns that adharma-driven conflict brings catastrophic suffering, even when framed within kṣatriya duty.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the terrifying sights on the battlefield: headless torsos (kabandhas) appear to stand and fight, one holding a severed head by the hair and brandishing a sharp, blood-drenched sword.