Shloka 28
तस्य भित्त्वा तनुत्राणं देहं निर्भिद्य चाशुग: । प्राविशद् धरणीं वेगाद् वल्मीकमिव पन्नग:,जैसे सर्प बाँबीमें घुस जाता है, उसी प्रकार अभिमन्युका छोड़ा हुआ वह बाण कर्णके शरीर और कवचको विदीर्ण करके बड़े वेगसे धरतीमें समा गया
tasya bhittvā tanutrāṇaṃ dehaṃ nirbhidya cāśugaḥ | prāviśad dharaṇīṃ vegād valmīkam iva pannagaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: That swift arrow, having pierced his armour and then cleaving through his body, plunged with great force into the earth—like a serpent slipping into its anthill. The image underscores the ruthless momentum of battle: a weapon’s duty is fulfilled without pause, while the human cost is immediate and irreversible.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the stark ethics of warfare: once violence is unleashed, it proceeds with impersonal inevitability. The serpent-in-anthill simile emphasizes how swiftly an act of harm can be completed, reminding the listener of the grave responsibility behind martial action.
Sañjaya describes a swift arrow that pierces armour and body and then, propelled by its momentum, sinks into the ground—compared to a serpent entering an anthill. It is a vivid battlefield snapshot stressing speed, penetration, and finality.