Śalya-parva Adhyāya 26 — Duryodhana’s remnant formation and rapid engagements
पपात काय: स रथाद् वसुधामनुनादयन् । महामनस्वी भीमसेनके क्षुरप्रसे मस्तक कट जानेपर उसका धड़ वसुधाको प्रतिध्वनित करता हुआ रथसे नीचे गिर पड़ा
papāta kāyaḥ sa rathād vasudhām anunādayan | mahāmanasvī bhīmasenake kṣurapraśe mastaka-kaṭa jānepara usakā dhaḍ vasudhāko pratidhvanita karatā huā rathase nīce gir paḍā |
મહામનસ્વી ભીમસેનના ક્ષુરપ્રથી મસ્તક કપાતાં જ તેનું ધડ ધરતીને ગુંજાવતું રથ પરથી નીચે પડી ગયું।
संजय उवाच
The verse underscores the stark moral gravity of war: even the great-souled are subject to sudden downfall, and violent action yields immediate, irreversible results—prompting reflection on the cost of conflict even when performed under kṣatriya duty.
Sañjaya describes a battlefield moment where a warrior’s head is cut off by Bhīma’s razor-edged missile; the headless body then falls from the chariot to the ground with a loud reverberation.