Shloka 59
अध्याय १४८ — कर्णप्रभावः, धृष्टद्युम्नस्य विरथता, तथा घटोत्कच-आह्वानम्
Chapter 148: Karṇa’s Pressure, Dhṛṣṭadyumna Unhorsed, and the Summoning of Ghaṭotkaca
युगपत् तस्य चिच्छेद शराभ्यां सैन्धवस्थ ह | सारथेश्व शिर: कायाद् ध्वजं च समलंकृतम्,परंतु अर्जुनने तुरंत ही जयद्रथके चलाये हुए बाणोंको काट गिराया और एक ही साथ दो बाणोंसे सिंधुराजके सारथिका सिर तथा अलंकारोंसे सुशोभित उसका ध्वज भी काट डाला
yugapat tasya ciccheda śarābhyāṃ saindhavastha ha | sārather śiraḥ kāyād dhvajaṃ ca samalaṅkṛtam ||
Sañjaya said: At that very moment, Arjuna cut down the arrows shot by the king of Sindhu; and simultaneously, with two shafts, he severed the charioteer’s head from his body and also struck down Jayadratha’s richly ornamented banner. The scene underscores the ruthless precision of battlefield skill, where protection of one’s cause and the swift neutralizing of threats are pursued without hesitation amid the moral weight of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim ethic of kṣatriya warfare: decisive action and mastery of arms are demanded in battle, even as such acts carry moral gravity. It also illustrates how a warrior’s duty to protect his side can manifest as swift, uncompromising force.
Sañjaya narrates Arjuna’s rapid counterattack against Jayadratha (the Sindhu-king): Arjuna cuts down the incoming arrows and, with two arrows at once, severs the charioteer’s head and fells Jayadratha’s ornamented banner.