Shloka 15
Jayadrathasya varaprāptiḥ (जयद्रथस्य वरप्राप्तिः) — Jayadratha’s boon and the restraint of the Pāṇḍava advance
ते घोरा रौद्रकर्माणो विपाठा बहव: शिता: । निघ्नन्तो रथनागाश्चान् जग्मुराशु वसुंधराम्,अभिमन्युके वे भयंकर कर्म करनेवाले, घोर, तीक्ष्ण और बहुसंख्यक विपाठ नामक बाण आपके रथों, हाथियों और घोड़ोंको नष्ट करते हुए शीघ्र ही धरतीमें समा जाते थे
te ghorā raudrakarmāṇo vipāṭhā bahavaḥ śitāḥ | nighnanto rathanāgāś cān jagmur āśu vasuṃdharām ||
Sañjaya berkata: Anak panah bernama Vipāṭha—mengerikan, tajam, dan tak terhitung banyaknya, lahir dari tindakan yang garang dan kejam—terus merobohkan kereta, gajah, dan kuda-kudamu, lalu seketika lenyap menembus bumi.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ruthless efficiency of warfare: even powerful instruments of war—chariots, elephants, and horses—are swiftly undone by superior weapons. Ethically, it points to the grim reality that martial prowess, when unleashed, accelerates destruction and reveals the fragility of worldly strength.
Sañjaya describes a battlefield moment where numerous sharp arrows called Vipāṭhas strike down the Kaurava side’s chariots, elephants, and horses, after which the arrows quickly fall and embed into the ground—conveying the intensity and speed of the ongoing combat.