Shloka 48
शैनेयस्य धनुश्छित्त्वा स खड्गो न्न्यपतन्महीम् । अलातचक्रवच्चैव व्यरोचत महीं गत:,वह खड्ग सात्यकिके धनुषको काटकर पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़ा। धरतीपर पहुँचकर वह अलातचक्रके समान प्रकाशित हो रहा था
śaineyasya dhanuś chittvā sa khaḍgo nyapatan mahīm | alātacakravat caiva vyarocata mahīṁ gataḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Having cut down Śaineya’s bow, that sword fell to the ground. Once it reached the earth, it shone brilliantly, like a whirling firebrand—an image of the battlefield’s relentless, dazzling violence where skill and force momentarily eclipse restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the stark reality of kṣatriya warfare: mastery in arms can abruptly overturn advantage, and the battlefield’s brilliance (the sword shining like a firebrand) is inseparable from destruction—inviting reflection on how dazzling power can mask suffering and moral cost.
In the midst of combat, Śaineya’s (Sātyaki’s) bow is cut. A sword then drops to the earth and, upon landing, gleams like a spinning firebrand (alātacakra), emphasizing the intensity and visual drama of the fight.