Shloka 18
तेषां चतुःशतान् वीरान् यतमानान् महारथान् । अर्जुनो निशितैर्बाणैरनयद् यमसादनम्
teṣāṁ catuḥśatān vīrān yatamānān mahārathān | arjuno niśitair bāṇair anayad yamasādanam ||
Dijo Sañjaya: Mientras aquellos cuatrocientos héroes, grandes guerreros de carro, se afanaban en la batalla, Arjuna, con sus flechas afiladas como navajas, los envió a la morada de Yama—imagen de la inexorable gravedad moral de la guerra, donde la destreza y la resolución se encuentran, aun así, con la consecuencia inevitable de la muerte.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the inexorable consequence of war: even the most capable and determined warriors are subject to death. It implicitly reflects kṣatriya-dharma’s harsh arena—valor and effort do not nullify mortality, and actions in battle carry grave ethical weight.
Sañjaya reports that Arjuna, using sharp arrows, slew (sent to Yama’s abode) four hundred great chariot-warriors who were actively striving in combat, highlighting Arjuna’s overwhelming martial effectiveness in this phase of the Kurukṣetra war.