Shloka 15
Duryodhana’s Departure toward Dvaītavana; Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Caution and Śakuni’s Assurance
तद्विसृष्टं जघानाशु पार्श्व स्कन्दस्य दक्षिणम् | बिभेद च महाराज पार्श्न तस्य महात्मन:
tadvisṛṣṭaṁ jaghānāśu pārśvaṁ skandasya dakṣiṇam | bibheda ca mahārāja pārśvaṁ tasya mahātmanaḥ ||
Mārkaṇḍeya said: “That which had been hurled struck at once the right flank of Skanda, and, O king, it pierced the side of that great-souled one.” The passage underscores the stark immediacy of violent action in battle, while still framing the combatants in terms of moral stature (mahātman), reminding the listener that even exalted beings are subject to the consequences of force.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when the narrative concerns divine or great-souled figures, the epic highlights the real consequences of violent acts; moral greatness (mahātman) does not negate vulnerability, and the listener is invited to reflect on the gravity of force and its results.
In Mārkaṇḍeya’s narration, a projectile that has been released strikes Skanda’s right side and pierces his flank, marking a decisive moment of impact within a battle scene.