Shloka 15
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 54 — Missile-Exchange and Tactical Redirection
Arjuna, Aśvatthāman, Karṇa
हतास्तु पार्थेन नरप्रवीरा गतासवोर्व्या सुषुपु: सुवेषा: | वसुप्रदा वासवतुल्यवीर्या: पराजिता वासवजेन संख्ये
vaiśampāyana uvāca | hatāstu pārthena narapravīrā gatāsavorvyā suṣupuḥ suveṣāḥ | vasupradā vāsavatulyavīryāḥ parājitā vāsavajena saṅkhye |
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Abatidos por Pārtha (Arjuna), muchos héroes eminentes—adornados con espléndidos atavíos—yacían sobre la tierra como si durmieran, pero la vida ya los había abandonado. Aquellos guerreros, célebres por dar riquezas y cuya pujanza rivalizaba con la de Vāsava (Indra), fueron sin embargo vencidos en esa batalla por Arjuna, hijo de Vāsava.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the transience of worldly glory: fine attire, reputation, and even Indra-like prowess cannot prevent death in righteous combat. It also reinforces the Mahābhārata’s view of kṣatriya-dharma—battle brings grave consequences, and victory often aligns with superior skill and divine endowment rather than mere status.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Arjuna (Pārtha), identified also as Indra’s son, has defeated and slain many eminent warriors. Their bodies lie on the ground ‘asleep,’ emphasizing the scale of the rout and Arjuna’s overwhelming martial superiority in that encounter.