Shloka 7
अध्याय ५३ — रणमेघोपमा सेना-वर्णना तथा सुषेण-वधोत्तर प्रतिक्रिया
Battle-as-Storm Imagery and the Aftermath of Suṣeṇa’s Fall
(महदासीत् तयोरयुद्ध मुहूर्तमिव दारुणम् । क़्ुद्धयो: समरे राजन् रामरावणयोरिव ।।) राजन! समरभूमिमें कुपित हुए राम और रावणके समान उन दोनों वीरोंमें दो घड़ीतक बड़ा भयंकर युद्ध चलता रहा। ततः शिखण्डी कुपित: शरै: सप्तभिराहवे । कृपं विव्याध कुपितं कड्कपत्रैरजिह्यागै:,तत्पश्चात् शिखण्डीने क्रोधमें भरकर युद्धस्थलमें कंकपत्रयुक्त सात सीधे बाणोंद्वारा कुपित कृपाचार्यको क्षत-विक्षत कर दिया
sañjaya uvāca | mahad āsīt tayor ayuddhaṁ muhūrtam iva dāruṇam | kruddhayoḥ samare rājan rāma-rāvaṇayor iva || tataḥ śikhaṇḍī kupitaḥ śaraiḥ saptabhir āhave | kṛpaṁ vivyādha kupitaṁ kaṅka-patrair ajihyāgaiḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Wahai Raja, sejenak pertempuran mereka menjadi amat dahsyat—laksana laga Rāma dan Rāvaṇa yang murka. Lalu Śikhaṇḍī, tersulut amarah, menghantam Kṛpa yang juga murka dengan tujuh anak panah lurus berhias bulu bangau, melukainya parah.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how anger (krodha) magnifies the destructiveness of conflict: once warriors become ‘kruddha/kupita’, the battle turns dreadful and decisive blows follow quickly. The ethical undertone is that passion-driven combat eclipses restraint, accelerating harm even among disciplined fighters.
Sañjaya reports to the king that the duel between the two warriors became terrifying for a time, compared to the legendary Rāma–Rāvaṇa battle. Immediately after, Śikhaṇḍī, enraged, shoots seven straight, heron-feathered arrows and wounds Kṛpa on the battlefield.