Shloka 27
Bhagadattā’s Deployment Against Ghaṭotkaca; Elephant-Corps Escalation
महोदरं महेष्वासं नाराचेन स्तनान्तरे । विव्याध समरे राजन् स हतो न््यपतद् भुवि,राजन! तत्पश्चात् उन्होंने महाधनुर्धर महोदरकी छातीमें एक नाराचसे प्रहार किया। उससे मारा जाकर वह युद्धमें धरतीपर गिर पड़ा
mahodaraṃ maheṣvāsaṃ nārācena stanāntare | vivyādha samare rājan sa hato nyapatad bhuvi ||
Sañjaya said: O King, in the thick of battle he pierced the great archer Mahodara in the chest with a nārāca arrow. Struck down, Mahodara fell to the earth—an episode that underscores the grim, duty-bound finality of warfare where prowess and life can end in an instant.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reality of kṣatriya warfare: duty-driven combat leads to swift, irreversible outcomes. It implicitly invites reflection on dharma in war—courage and skill operate within a moral world where life is fragile and consequences are immediate.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a warrior strikes the great archer Mahodara in the chest with a nārāca arrow; Mahodara, mortally wounded, collapses onto the battlefield.