Shloka 13
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 45: Saubhadra–Lakṣmaṇa-saṃyoga and Kaurava Counter-Encirclement
स तस्येष्वसनं छित्त्वा फाल्गुनि: सव्यदक्षिणौ | भुजौ शिरश्र स्वक्षिभ्रु क्षितौ क्षिप्रमपातयत्,तब अर्जुनकुमारने रुक्मरथका धनुष काटकर उसकी बायीं-दायीं भुजाओंको तथा सुन्दर नेत्र एवं भौंहोंसे सुशोभित मस्तकको भी तुरंत ही पृथ्वीपर काट गिराया
sa tasyaiṣv-āsanaṃ chittvā phālguniḥ savya-dakṣiṇau | bhujau śiraś ca svākṣibhrū kṣitau kṣipram apātayat ||
Sañjaya said: Having cut down his bow and its grip, Phālguni (Arjuna) swiftly struck off both the left and right arms, and also the head—adorned with beautiful eyes and brows—causing them to fall at once upon the earth. The scene underscores the ruthless finality of battlefield duty, where martial skill is exercised without hesitation once a foe is decisively engaged.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the uncompromising nature of kṣatriya-duty in war: once combat is joined, decisive action is taken to neutralize the opponent. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s tension between necessary violence in dharma-yuddha and the stark human cost of such necessity.
Sañjaya narrates that Arjuna (Phālguni) first severs the opponent’s bow, then swiftly cuts off both arms and the head, which fall to the ground—an emphatic depiction of Arjuna’s speed and lethal precision in the Drona Parva battle.