Shloka 15
इन्द्रजिद्-लक्ष्मणयुद्धम्
Indrajit and Lakṣmaṇa: Escalation through Concealment
तब हृदय विदीर्ण हो जानेके कारण वीर त्रिगर्तराज मुखसे रक्त वमन करता हुआ राजा युधिष्ठिरके सामने ही जड़से कटे हुए वृक्षकी भाँति पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़ा ।। इन्द्रसेनद्वितीयस्तु रथात् प्रस्कन्द्य धर्मराट् | हताश्वः सहदेवस्य प्रतिपेदे महारथम्,इधर धर्मराज युधिष्ठिर अपने घोड़े मारे जानेके कारण सारथि इन्द्रसेनके साथ सहदेवके विशाल रथपर जा बैठे
tataḥ hṛdaya-vidīrṇa-bhāvāt vīras trigartarājaḥ mukhāt raktaṃ vaman kurvan rājñaḥ yudhiṣṭhirasya purata eva mūlataḥ chinna-vṛkṣa iva pṛthivyāṃ nipapāta | indrasedana-dvitīyas tu rathāt praskandya dharmarāṭ hātāśvaḥ sahadevasya mahārathaṃ pratipede |
Then, his heart as if torn apart, the valiant king of the Trigartas—vomiting blood from his mouth—collapsed right before King Yudhiṣṭhira, falling to the earth like a tree cut down at the root. Thereupon Indrasena (the second), leaping down from the chariot, escorted Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira—whose horses had been slain—onto Sahadeva’s great chariot. The scene underscores the stark fragility of embodied life amid battle and the immediate duty of protection and support among allies, even as violence brings sudden, irreversible consequences.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid warfare’s chaos, dharma expresses itself as immediate responsibility—protecting allies, maintaining composure, and acting decisively when circumstances change. The sudden collapse of a king also highlights the Mahābhārata’s recurring reminder of mortality and the ethical weight of violence.
The Trigarta king, grievously afflicted, vomits blood and collapses before Yudhiṣṭhira like a tree cut at the root. Because Yudhiṣṭhira’s horses have been killed, Indrasena jumps down and helps him transfer onto Sahadeva’s large chariot.