Shloka 18
महाराज! इससे कुपित होकर प्रतापी सहदेवने अपने धनुषपर मृत्यु, काल और यमराजके समान भयंकर बाण रखा ।। विकृष्य बलवच्चापं तव पुत्राय सोडसृजत् । स तं निर्भिद्य वेगेन भित्त्वाच कवचं महत्,फिर उस धनुषको बलपूर्वक खींचकर उसने आपके पुत्रपर वह बाण छोड़ दिया। राजन! वह बाण दुःशासनको तथा उसके विशाल कवचको भी वेगपूर्वक विदीर्ण करके बाँबीमें घुसनेवाले सर्पके समान धरतीमें समा गया। महाराज! इससे आपका महारथी पुत्र मूर्च्छित हो गया
sañjaya uvāca |
mahārāja! etena kupitaḥ pratāpī sahadevaḥ svadhanur-mṛtyu-kāla-yamarāja-sadṛśaṃ bhayaṅkaraṃ bāṇam āropayat ||
vikṛṣya balavac cāpaṃ tava putrāya so 'sṛjat |
sa taṃ nirbhidya vegeṇa bhittvā ca kavacaṃ mahat,
bhūmau bilapraveśī sarpa iva samāviśat |
mahārāja! etena tava mahārathī putro mūrcchitaḥ abhavat ||
Sañjaya said: “O King, provoked to anger by this, the valiant Sahadeva set upon his bow a dreadful arrow, like Death, Time, and Yama himself. Drawing the bow with great force, he released it at your son. That arrow, speeding on, pierced him and tore through his massive armor, then sank into the earth like a serpent slipping into its hole. O King, by this your great chariot-warrior son was struck senseless.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how anger in war can unleash near-unstoppable force, framed through the imagery of Mṛtyu, Kāla, and Yama—reminding that violence, once set in motion, quickly exceeds human control and brings immediate consequences.
Sañjaya reports that Sahadeva, enraged, draws his bow and shoots a terrifying arrow at Duḥśāsana. The arrow pierces Duḥśāsana and his armor and then disappears into the earth; Duḥśāsana is left unconscious.