Shloka 8
Chapter 12: Arjuna’s suppression of the Saṃśaptakas and duel with Aśvatthāmā
Drauṇi
गदाभिरन्ये गुर्वीभि: परिघैर्मुसलैरपि । पोथिता: शतशः पेतुर्वीरा वीरतरै रणे
gadābhir anye gurvībhiḥ parighair musalair api | pothitāḥ śataśaḥ petur vīrā vīratarai raṇe ||
duryodhanas tu rājānaṃ dharmaputraṃ yudhiṣṭhiram | saṃśaptakagaṇān kruddho hy abhyadhāvad dhanaṃjayaḥ ||
Sañjaya dijo: Muchos otros guerreros, abatidos por pesadas mazas, porras de hierro y morteros, cayeron por centenares en el campo de batalla—aplastados por combatientes aún más formidables que ellos. Entretanto, Duryodhana apremiaba su ataque contra el rey Yudhiṣṭhira, hijo de Dharma; y Arjuna (Dhanañjaya), ardiendo de ira, cargó de frente contra la hueste de los Saṃśaptakas.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how martial excellence, when driven by rivalry and anger, intensifies destruction; it also contrasts Yudhiṣṭhira’s dharma-marked identity (dharmaputra) with the battlefield reality where even the righteous are targeted, reminding readers that ethical responsibility in leadership matters most when violence escalates.
Sañjaya describes mass casualties as warriors are crushed by heavy close-combat weapons. In the same moment, Duryodhana advances against King Yudhiṣṭhira, while Arjuna, enraged, rushes to engage the vowed Saṃśaptaka formation.