Shloka 60
Śalya–Bhīma Gadāyuddham (मद्रराज-भीमसेन गदायुद्धम्)
जघानास्य पदा सूतमसिनापातयद् ध्वजम् | विक्षोभ्याम्भोनिधिं ताक्ष्यस्तं नागमिव चाक्षिपत्,उसने पैरोंके आघातसे पौरवके सारथिको मार डाला और तलवारसे उनके ध्वजको काट गिराया। फिर जैसे गरुड़ समुद्रको क्षुब्ध करके नागको पकड़कर दे मारते हैं, उसी प्रकार उसने भी पौरवको रथसे नीचे पटक दिया
sañjaya uvāca |
jaghānāsya padā sūtam asinā apātayad dhvajam |
vīkṣobhya ambhonidhiṃ tākṣyaḥ taṃ nāgam iva cākṣipat ||
Sañjaya said: With a blow of his foot he struck down the Paurava’s charioteer, and with his sword he cut and felled the banner. Then, like Garuḍa who churns the ocean and seizes a serpent to hurl it down, he shook the foe and cast that Paurava from his chariot. The verse underscores the ruthless momentum of battlefield skill, where symbols of honor (the banner) and the supports of war (the charioteer) are targeted to break an opponent’s power.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, power is often broken by striking at supports and symbols—killing the charioteer and felling the banner to destabilize the warrior. Ethically, it reflects the grim reality of the Kurukṣetra conflict, where martial effectiveness can override gentler ideals, and victory is pursued through decisive, sometimes ruthless, tactics.
Sañjaya describes a warrior’s rapid assault: he kills the enemy charioteer with a kick, cuts down the enemy’s banner with a sword, and then throws the Paurava warrior from the chariot. The action is compared to Garuḍa agitating the ocean and seizing a serpent to cast it down.