Shloka 48
Adhyāya 65: Dawn Assembly, Makara–Śyena Vyūhas, and Commander Engagements
तस्यावर्जितनागस्य कार्ष्णि: परपुरंजय: । राज्ञो रजतपुड्खेन भल्लेनापाहरच्छिर:,फिर शत्रु-नगरीपर विजय पानेवाले अर्जुनपुत्र अभिमन्युने मरनेपर भी हाथीको न छोड़नेवाले मगधराजका मस्तक रजतमय पंखवाले भल््लके द्वारा काट गिराया
tasyāvarjita-nāgasya kārṣṇiḥ para-puraṁ-jayaḥ | rājño rajata-puḍkhena bhallena apāharac chiraḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then Kārṣṇi—conqueror of enemy strongholds—severed the head of that king who would not abandon his elephant even in the face of death, striking with a bhalla arrow fitted with silver feathers. The scene underscores the relentless ferocity of battle, where steadfastness can appear as valor yet also leads to fatal consequence when bound to pride and martial obsession.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how unwavering attachment to a martial stance—here, refusing to abandon one’s war-elephant even when death is imminent—can be read as valor but also becomes a cause of ruin. In the ethical frame of the epic, battlefield prowess operates within kṣatriya-duty, yet the narrative repeatedly warns that pride and fixation harden into self-destructive obstinacy.
Sañjaya reports a battlefield moment: a warrior called Kārṣṇi, famed for conquering enemy strongholds, strikes a king who would not leave his elephant. With a broad-headed arrow (bhalla) having silver fletching, he severs the king’s head, marking a decisive and brutal turn in the combat.