Shloka 15
आदित्यकेतुर्बह्नाशी कुण्डधारो महोदर: । अपराजित: पण्डितको विशालाक्ष: सुदुर्जय:,आदित्यकेतु, बह्नाशी, कुण्डधार, महोदर, अपराजित, पण्डितक और अत्यन्त दुर्जय वीर विशालाक्ष--ये सातों शत्रुमर्दन भाई विचित्र वेशभूषासे सुसज्जित हो विचित्र कवच और ध्वज धारण किये संग्राम-भूमिमें युद्धकी इच्छासे पाण्डुपुत्र भीमसेनपर टूट पड़े
sañjaya uvāca |
ādityaketurbahnāśī kuṇḍadhāro mahodaraḥ |
aparājitaḥ paṇḍitakaḥ viśālākṣaḥ sudurjayaḥ ||
Sanjaya said: Adityaketu, Bahnāśī, Kuṇḍadhāra, Mahodara, Aparājita, Paṇḍitaka, and the exceedingly hard-to-conquer hero Viśālākṣa—these seven enemy-crushing brothers, adorned in strange and striking attire, bearing unusual armor and banners, surged onto the battlefield with the desire to fight, rushing to fall upon Bhīmasena, the son of Pāṇḍu. The scene underscores the relentless momentum of war: valor and aggression are displayed as martial virtues, yet they also reveal how conflict draws many into peril through pride, loyalty, and the thirst for victory.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, outward splendor (armor, banners, display) and proclaimed invincibility do not guarantee safety; many warriors are driven by loyalty, pride, and the kṣatriya impulse toward combat. Ethically, it points to the tragic momentum of conflict—courage is praised, yet it also becomes a vehicle for destruction when harnessed to enmity.
Sanjaya lists seven warrior-brothers—Adityaketu, Bahnāśī, Kuṇḍadhāra, Mahodara, Aparājita, Paṇḍitaka, and Viśālākṣa—who, dressed in striking attire and carrying distinctive armor and standards, charge onto the battlefield and attack Bhīma, the son of Pāṇḍu.