Shloka 29
तत्रैकबाणनिहतानपश्याम महागजान् । पतितान् पात्यमानांश्व निर्भिनज्नान् सव्यसाचिना,वहाँ हमने देखा कि सव्यसाची अर्जुके एक ही बाणकी चोट खाकर बड़े-बड़े हाथियोंके शरीर विदीर्ण होकर गिर गये हैं और लगातार गिराये जा रहे हैं
tatraika-bāṇa-nihatān apaśyāma mahā-gajān | patitān pātyamānāṁś ca nirbhinna-jñān savyasācinā ||
Sañjaya said: “There we saw mighty elephants struck down by a single arrow—some already fallen, others being continually brought down—while their bodies were torn open by Savyasācin (Arjuna).” The verse underscores the terrifying efficiency of martial skill on the battlefield, where power and life are undone in an instant, reminding the listener of war’s grave moral weight even when fought in the name of duty.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the awe-inspiring power of a warrior’s skill and the stark reality of war: even the mightiest beings can be destroyed instantly. Implicitly, it invites reflection on the ethical gravity of battlefield action, even when undertaken as kṣatriya-dharma.
Sañjaya reports what was witnessed on the battlefield: Arjuna (called Savyasācin) is felling huge elephants with single arrows; some lie already dead while others are still being brought down, their bodies visibly torn by the strikes.