Shloka 60
अध्याय १४८ — कर्णप्रभावः, धृष्टद्युम्नस्य विरथता, तथा घटोत्कच-आह्वानम्
Chapter 148: Karṇa’s Pressure, Dhṛṣṭadyumna Unhorsed, and the Summoning of Ghaṭotkaca
स छिन्नयष्टि: सुमहान् धनंजयशराहत:ः । वराह: सिन्धुराजस्य पपाताग्निशिखोपम:,धनंजयके बाणोंसे आहत हो अग्निशिखाके समान तेजस्वी वह सिंधुराजका महान् वाराह॒ध्वज दण्ड कट जानेसे पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़ा
sa chinnayaṣṭiḥ sumahān dhanañjaya-śarāhataḥ | varāhaḥ sindhurājasya papātāgniśikhopamaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Struck by the arrows of Dhanañjaya, the Sindhu king’s great boar-emblem—its staff severed—fell to the earth, blazing like a tongue of fire. The image underscores how, in the fury of battle, even proud royal insignia and claims to power are brought down when met by superior valor and resolve.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the fragility of external symbols of power—banners, emblems, and royal pride—when confronted by decisive action in accordance with a warrior’s duty. In the ethical frame of the epic, prowess and resolve in battle can overturn status and display, reminding that authority must be sustained by capability and right conduct, not mere insignia.
Sañjaya reports that Arjuna’s arrows strike the Sindhu king’s boar-emblem standard; its pole is cut, and the great emblem falls to the ground, shining like flame. It is a vivid battlefield image signaling Jayadratha’s setback and the force of Arjuna’s assault.