Shloka 23
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 109 — Karṇa–Bhīma Yuddha and Durmukha’s Fall (कर्णभीमयुद्धम्; दुर्मुखवधः)
अथापरेण भल्लेन पीतेन निशितेन ह । चिच्छेद सारथे: कायाच्छिरो ज्वलितकुण्डलम्
athāpareṇa bhallena pītena niśitena ha | ciccheda sāratheḥ kāyāc chiro jvalitakuṇḍalam ||
Sañjaya dit : Alors, d’une autre flèche bhalla, acérée et d’un éclat jaune, il trancha du corps du cocher la tête ornée de boucles d’oreilles flamboyantes.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war can collapse ordinary moral boundaries: technical prowess and victory-driven intent may extend lethal force even to supporting figures like charioteers, prompting reflection on restraint (maryādā) and the ethical cost of unchecked martial ambition.
In Sañjaya’s battlefield report, a warrior shoots another sharp bhalla arrow and cleanly severs the charioteer’s head—described as gleaming with earrings—from his body, emphasizing the ferocity and precision of the ongoing combat.