Shloka 64
ततः स मुक्तिर्दशभिर्जघान सभापति काज्चनवर्मनद्धम् । एक बाणसे कर्णकी ध्वजाको बींधकर अर्जुनने चार बाणोंसे शल्यको और तीनसे कर्णको घायल कर दिया। तत्पश्चात् उन्होंने दस बाण छोड़कर सुवर्णमय कवच धारण करनेवाले सभापति नामक राजकुमारको मार डाला ।। स राजपुत्रो विशिरा विबाहु- विवाजिसूतो विधनुर्विकेतु:
tataḥ sa muktir daśabhir jaghāna sabhāpatiṃ kāñcanavarmanaddham | eka-bāṇena karṇakī-dhvajāko vidhya karṇaṃ caturbhir bāṇaiḥ śalyaṃ ca trībhiḥ kṛtvā kṣatam || tataḥ sa rājaputro viśirā vibāhuḥ vivājisūto vidhanuḥ viketuḥ ||
Kemudian Arjuna menumbangkan pangeran bernama Sabhāpati dengan sepuluh anak panah, meski ia berzirah emas. Putra raja itu pun roboh—kepalanya dan kedua lengannya terpenggal; sais dan kuda-kudanya tewas, busurnya patah, dan panjinya hancur.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim logic of kṣatriya warfare: excellence in skill and unwavering resolve decide outcomes, yet every display of prowess is inseparable from suffering and irreversible loss. It invites reflection on dharma in war—duty performed with precision, but within a tragic moral landscape.
Arjuna rapidly escalates his attack: he pierces Karṇa’s banner with one arrow, wounds Śalya with four, wounds Karṇa with three, and then kills the armored prince Sabhāpati with ten arrows. The fallen prince is described as utterly disabled—head and arms cut off, charioteer and horses slain, bow broken, and standard destroyed.