Shloka 123
अध्याय १४८ — कर्णप्रभावः, धृष्टद्युम्नस्य विरथता, तथा घटोत्कच-आह्वानम्
Chapter 148: Karṇa’s Pressure, Dhṛṣṭadyumna Unhorsed, and the Summoning of Ghaṭotkaca
ह्ृदयान्याशु वीराणां विविशु: प्रियबन्धुवत् । तदनन्तर अर्जुनके छोड़े हुए दूसरे प्रचण्ड तेजस्वी बाण वीर योद्धाओंके हृदयमें प्रिय बन्धुकी भाँति शीघ्र ही प्रवेश करने लगे,तच्छिर: सिन्धुराजस्य शरैरूर्ध्वमवाहयत् | दुर्हदामप्रहर्षाय सुह्ृदां हर्षणाय च सिंधुराज जयद्रथके उस मस्तकको उन्होंने बाणोंद्वारा ऊपर-ही-ऊपर ढोना आरम्भ किया। इससे अर्जुनके शत्रुओंको बड़ा दुःख और मित्रोंको महान् हर्ष हुआ
sañjaya uvāca |
hṛdayāny āśu vīrāṇāṁ viviśuḥ priyabandhuvat |
tad-anantaraṁ arjunake chhoṛe hue dūsare pracaṇḍa tejasvī bāṇa vīra-yoddhāoṁ ke hṛdaya meṁ priya bandhu kī bhānti śīghra hī praveśa karane lage |
tac-chiraḥ sindhurājasya śarair ūrdhvam avāhayat |
duḥkhadām apraharṣāya suhṛdāṁ harṣaṇāya ca |
sindhurāja jayadratha ke us mastaka ko unhoṁne bāṇoṁ dvārā ūpar-hī-ūpar ḍhonā ārambha kiyā | isse arjuna ke śatruoṁ ko baṛā duḥkha aur mitroṁ ko mahān harṣa huā ||
Sanjaya said: The arrows swiftly entered the hearts of the warriors like dear kinsmen. Thereafter, the other fierce, blazing shafts released by Arjuna quickly found their way into the vital parts of the heroes. And with his arrows he bore aloft the head of the king of Sindhu—Jayadratha—raising it upward. This brought intense grief to Arjuna’s foes, and great joy to his well-wishers.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the Mahābhārata’s martial dharma: when a righteous vow is undertaken within the rules of war, its fulfillment—though violent—becomes a moral necessity. It also highlights how the same act is ethically and emotionally interpreted differently by allies and adversaries, revealing the relational nature of ‘joy’ and ‘grief’ in conflict.
Sañjaya describes Arjuna’s devastating archery: his arrows strike vital points of warriors, and he then lifts and bears aloft Jayadratha’s severed head with arrows. The spectacle causes despair among Arjuna’s enemies and exhilaration among his friends.