Shloka 40
शिरो रथे<स्य निक्षिप्प विकृताननमूर्थजम् । प्राणदद् भैरवं नादं प्रावषीव बलाहक:ः
śiro rathe 'sya nikṣipya vikṛtānana-mūrdhajam | prāṇadad bhairavaṃ nādaṃ prāvṛṣīva balāhakaḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Ayant jeté sa tête sur le char—le visage et la chevelure hideusement déformés—il poussa un cri terrifiant, tel un nuage de pluie grondant à l’orée de la mousson. La scène révèle l’horreur morale de la guerre : même la chute d’un guerrier devient un spectacle d’épouvante, où la peur et la violence étouffent la retenue et la compassion.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical darkness of war: death and mutilation become instruments of terror. It implicitly warns that when dharma collapses in battle, human dignity is eclipsed by fear, and violence multiplies through intimidation.
Sañjaya describes a severed head being thrown onto a chariot; its distorted face and hair are noted for their gruesomeness. A dreadful roar is heard, compared to the thunder of a monsoon cloud, intensifying the atmosphere of panic and brutality on the battlefield.