Shloka 62

Devanagari script

जहार सद्यो भल्लेन विपाटस्य शिरो रथात्‌ | तत्पश्चात्‌ सीधे जानेवाले छः सायकोंद्वारा शत्रुंजयका संहार करके एक भल्लद्वारा रथपर बैठे हुए विपाटका मस्तक तत्काल काट गिराया ।। ६१ ई || पश्यतां धार्तराष्ट्राणामेकेनैव किरीटिना

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | jahāra sadyo bhallena vipāṭasya śiro rathāt | tatpaścāt ṣaḍbhiḥ sāyakair jānēvāle śatruñjayaṃ saṃhṛtyaikenaiva kirīṭinā (bhallena) rathopaviṣṭasya vipāṭasya mastakaṃ tatkṣaṇaṃ chittvā nipātayāmāsa | paśyatāṃ dhārtarāṣṭrāṇām |

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Dengan panah bhalla yang tajam, ia seketika memenggal kepala Vipāṭa dari atas keretanya. Di hadapan putra-putra Dhṛtarāṣṭra, sang pemakai mahkota menebas kepala Vipāṭa yang duduk di kereta hanya dengan satu bhalla.

Word by Word

जहारcarried off / took away

सद्यःimmediately

भल्लेनwith a bhalla-arrow

विपाटस्यof Vipāṭa

शिरःhead

रथात्from the chariot

पश्यताम्while (they were) seeing / in the presence of (those) seeing

धार्तराष्ट्राणाम्of the Dhārtarāṣṭras (Kauravas)

एकेनwith one (single)

एवindeed / just

किरीटिनाwith the (arrow/weapon) having a crest/diadem (i.e., a 'kiriṭin' weapon)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

स

संजय (Sañjaya)

व

विपाट (Vipāṭa)

श

शत्रुंजय (Śatruñjaya)

क

किरीटिन् / अर्जुन (Kirīṭin / Arjuna)

ध

धार्तराष्ट्र (Dhārtarāṣṭras / Kauravas)

र

रथ (chariot)

भ

भल्ल (bhalla arrow)

स

सायक (arrows)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the harsh reality of kṣatriya duty in war: skill and decisiveness are praised, yet the scene—executed before witnesses—also reminds the listener that battlefield glory is inseparable from grave moral cost and the inexorable consequences of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the diademed warrior Arjuna kills Śatruñjaya with six arrows and then, using a bhalla-arrow, swiftly severs Vipāṭa’s head from his chariot, all in the sight of the Kaurava forces (Dhārtarāṣṭras).