Shloka 39
ततः पड्चशतं शूरा: समुद्यतमहाशिला: । निकृत्तबाहवो राजन निपेतुर्धरणीतले,राजन! तदनन्तर बड़े-बड़े प्रस्तरखण्ड उठाये हुए पाँच सौ शूरवीर अपनी भुजाओंके कट जानेसे धरतीपर गिर पड़े
tataḥ pañcaśataṃ śūrāḥ samudyata-mahāśilāḥ | nikṛtta-bāhavo rājan nipetur dharaṇī-tale ||
Kemudian, wahai Raja, lima ratus kesatria gagah—yang mengangkat batu-batu besar tinggi-tinggi—jatuh tersungkur ke tanah karena lengan mereka telah tertebas.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the fragility of human power in war: even courageous warriors poised to strike can be instantly incapacitated. Ethically, it points to the heavy karmic and human cost of violence, reminding the listener that martial glory is inseparable from suffering and irreversible loss.
Sanjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that five hundred warriors, who had lifted massive stones to hurl or strike, collapse to the ground because their arms have been severed—an image of sudden defeat amid intense combat.