Shloka 44
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 19 — Saṃśaptaka–Trigarta Assault and Aindra-astra Counter
तदर्कचन्द्रग्रहपावकव्विषं भृशातिपातात् पतितं विचूर्णितम् । महेन्द्रवज्ाभिहतं महास्वनं यथाद्रिशुड्रं धरणीतले तथा,सूर्य, चन्द्रमा, ग्रह और अग्निके समान प्रकाशमान वह मुकुट उस तोमरके गहरे आघातसे चूर-चूर होकर महान् शब्दके साथ उसी प्रकार पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़ा, जैसे इन्द्रके वज्ग़से आहत हो किसी पर्वतका शिखर भारी आवाजके साथ धराशायी हो जाता है
tad arkacandra-graha-pāvakopamaṃ bhṛśātitāpāt patitaṃ vicūrṇitam | mahendra-vajrābhihataṃ mahāsvanaṃ yathādriśṛṅgaṃ dharaṇītale tathā ||
Sañjaya said: That crown, radiant like the sun, the moon, the planets, and fire, was struck by the tomara with crushing force; shattered to pieces, it fell to the earth with a tremendous roar—just as a mountain peak, smitten by Indra’s thunderbolt, crashes down to the ground with a great sound. The image underscores the battlefield’s moral gravity: even the most splendid emblems of power and honor are fragile before the consequences of violent action.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the impermanence of worldly splendor and status: even a crown shining like celestial fires can be shattered in an instant. In the ethical atmosphere of the Kurukṣetra war, it suggests that power and honor are vulnerable to the consequences of violent deeds and fate.
Sañjaya describes a warrior’s crown being struck by a tomara; it breaks apart and falls to the ground with a loud crash. The fall is compared to a mountain summit collapsing when hit by Indra’s thunderbolt.