Shloka 29
भीमसेनस्य कौरवसुतवधः तथा श्रुतर्वावधः
Slaying of Kaurava princes and the fall of Śrutarvā
तत्रैकबाणनिहतानपश्याम महागजान् । पतितान् पात्यमानांश्व निर्भिनज्नान् सव्यसाचिना
tatraika-bāṇa-nihatān apaśyāma mahā-gajān | patitān pātyamānāṁś ca nirbhinna-jñān savyasācinā ||
Sañjaya dijo: «Allí vimos a enormes elefantes abatidos por una sola flecha: unos ya caídos, otros derribados sin cesar, mientras sus cuerpos eran desgarrados por Savyasācin (Arjuna).» El verso subraya la aterradora eficacia de la destreza marcial en el campo de batalla, donde el poder y la vida se deshacen en un instante, y recuerda el grave peso moral de la guerra aun cuando se lucha en nombre del deber.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the awe-inspiring power of a warrior’s skill and the stark reality of war: even the mightiest beings can be destroyed instantly. Implicitly, it invites reflection on the ethical gravity of battlefield action, even when undertaken as kṣatriya-dharma.
Sañjaya reports what was witnessed on the battlefield: Arjuna (called Savyasācin) is felling huge elephants with single arrows; some lie already dead while others are still being brought down, their bodies visibly torn by the strikes.