Shloka 13
भूरिश्रवसः गर्हा, प्रायोपवेशः, सात्यकिकृतशिरच्छेदः
Bhūriśravas’s Censure, Prāyopaveśa, and Sātyaki’s Beheading
सात्वतेन च बाणीौचघैर्निरविद्धिस्तनयस्तव । शातकुम्भमयापीडो बभौ यूप इवोच्छित:,सात्यकिके बाणसमूहोंसे घायल होकर आपका पुत्र दुर्योधन सुवर्णमय मुकुट धारण किये ऊँचे यूपके समान सुशोभित हो रहा था
sātvatenaca bāṇaughair niraviddhis tanayas tava | śātakumbhamayāpīḍo babhau yūpa ivocchritaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Pierced by the dense volleys of arrows shot by the Sātvata (Sātyaki), your son Duryodhana—wearing a crown of pure gold—still stood out conspicuously, shining like a tall sacrificial post (yūpa). The image underscores the grim ethic of war: even when wounded, a king’s outward splendor and resolve are displayed amid violence, while the battlefield turns symbols of sacrifice into symbols of destruction.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the paradox of battlefield ethics: a warrior-king may be grievously wounded, yet must maintain visible steadiness and royal dignity. The yūpa comparison also hints at how war mirrors sacrifice—only here the ‘offering’ is human suffering.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duryodhana has been struck by a heavy shower of Sātyaki’s arrows. Despite the wounds, Duryodhana, wearing a golden crown, appears prominent and upright like a tall sacrificial post.