Shloka 5
कर्णपर्व — पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः | Karṇa Parva, Chapter 15: Pāṇḍya’s Advance and Aśvatthāmā’s Counterstroke
शिरांस्युन्मथ्य वीराणां शितैर्भल्लैर्धनंजय: । पूर्णचन्द्रा भवकत्राणि स्वक्षिभ्रदूशनानि च
śirāṁsy unmathya vīrāṇāṁ śitaiḥ bhallair dhanaṁjayaḥ | pūrṇacandrābhavakatrāṇi svakṣibhradūṣaṇāni ca
Sañjaya dit : Avec des flèches bhalla tranchantes comme des rasoirs, Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) trancha les têtes des guerriers; et il brisa aussi leurs casques, ronds et éclatants comme la pleine lune, ainsi que les protège-yeux qui sauvegardaient leur vue.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reality of righteous warfare in the epic: extraordinary skill and resolve, when exercised as a warrior’s duty, can be terrifyingly effective. It invites reflection on the ethical weight of violence even when performed under the banner of dharma.
Sañjaya describes Arjuna’s battlefield prowess: using sharp bhalla arrows, he severs warriors’ heads and breaks their shining, round helmets and eye-protectors, depicting the intensity and destructiveness of the combat.