Shloka 10
Vāsudeva-Māhātmya: Duryodhana’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Theological Account of Keśava
पतितान्युत्तमाज़ानि बाहवश्न विभूषिता: । व्यचेष्टन्त महीं प्राप्प शतशो5थ सहस्रश:,सैनिकोंके सैकड़ों-हजारों मस्तक तथा स्वर्ण-भूषित भुजाएँ कट-कटकर पृथ्वीपर गिरने और तड़पने लगीं
patitāny uttamāṅgāni bāhavaś ca vibhūṣitāḥ | vyaceṣṭanta mahīṃ prāpya śataśo ’tha sahasraśaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Hundreds and thousands of fallen heads and ornamented arms, severed in battle, struck the earth and still writhed there—an image of the war’s relentless violence and the terrible cost borne by warriors on both sides.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim reality and moral weight of war: even valor and royal adornment cannot shield the body from destruction, reminding the listener of impermanence and the heavy consequences that accompany armed conflict and kṣatriya warfare.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the battlefield scene where severed heads and jewel-adorned arms have fallen to the ground in vast numbers and are described as still twitching or writhing after being cut down.