Shloka 37
Adhyāya 16: Saṃśaptaka-vrata and the Diversion of Arjuna (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय १६)
ततस्तु सिंहसेनस्य शिर: कायात् सकुण्डलम् | व्याप्रदत्तस्य चाक्रम्य भल्लाभ्यामाहरद् बली,फिर बलवान द्रोणने आक्रमणके साथ ही भल्ल नामक दो बाणोंद्वारा सिंहसेन और व्याप्रदत्तके शरीरसे उनके कुण्डलमण्डित मस्तक काट डाले
tatastu siṁhasenasya śiraḥ kāyāt sakuṇḍalam | vyāpradattasya cākramya bhallābhyām āharad balī ||
Sañjaya said: Then the mighty warrior, pressing his attack, struck down Siṁhasena and Vyāpradatta—severing from their bodies their heads adorned with earrings—by means of two bhalla arrows. The verse underscores the relentless, impersonal momentum of battle, where prowess and tactical force eclipse personal ties, and death comes swiftly through martial skill.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh ethical landscape of war: once battle is joined, martial duty and tactical execution dominate, and life can be ended instantly by skill and force. It invites reflection on the cost of violence and the grim inevitability that accompanies kṣatriya warfare.
Sañjaya reports that a powerful warrior advances and, using two bhalla arrows, cuts off the earring-adorned heads of the fighters Siṁhasena and Vyāpradatta, indicating a decisive and lethal moment in the ongoing battle.