Shloka 29
इन्द्रजिद्-लक्ष्मणयुद्धम्
Indrajit and Lakṣmaṇa: Escalation through Concealment
सादिता: प्रत्यदृश्यन्त बहव: सव्यसाचिना । सपताकाश्न मातज्ा: सध्वजाश्व॒ महारथा:,सव्यसाची अर्जुनके द्वारा मारे या नष्ट किये गये पताकासहित बहुतेरे हाथी और ध्वजायुक्त अनेक विशाल रथ दृष्टिगोचर हो रहे थे
sāditāḥ pratyadṛśyanta bahavaḥ savyasācinā | sapatākāś ca mātaṅgāḥ sadhvajāśvā mahārathāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Many warriors lay slain, brought down by Arjuna the ambidextrous archer. Elephants with their banners still raised and great chariots—horses and standards intact—were seen strewn about, bearing witness to the overwhelming force of his arms. The scene underscores the grim moral weight of battle: prowess achieves victory, yet it also leaves a visible trail of destruction that demands sober reflection on the costs of violence and the responsibilities of those who wield power.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the visible aftermath of martial success: skill and duty in battle can be decisive, yet the results are unmistakably destructive. It invites ethical sobriety—power and victory carry responsibility, and violence leaves consequences that cannot be ignored.
Vaiśampāyana describes a battlefield scene where many have been slain by Arjuna (Savyasācin). Fallen elephants still bearing banners and great chariots with horses and standards are seen, emphasizing the scale of Arjuna’s onslaught and the devastation left behind.