Shloka 41
मर्मच्छिदं शोणितमांसदिग्ध॑ वैश्वानरार्कप्रतिमं महाहम् । नराश्वनागासुहरं >यरत्निं षड्वाजमगज्जोगतिमुग्रवेगम्
marma-cchidaṁ śoṇita-māṁsa-digdhaṁ vaiśvānara-arka-pratimaṁ mahāham | narāśva-nāgāsu-haraṁ hayaratnaṁ ṣaḍvājam agaj-joga-tim ugra-vegam ||
サञ्जयは語った。「それは巨大にして凄惨なる武器であった。急所を穿ち、血と肉にまみれ、火神ヴァイシュヴァーナラのごとく、また太陽のごとく燃え輝く。人・馬・象を滅ぼすもの、戦の貴き戦利品のごとく、六頭立ての戦車のように、抗しがたい猛速で突き進んだ。」
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the catastrophic power unleashed in war: when weapons are driven by wrath and rivalry, they become indiscriminate life-takers. Ethically, it highlights the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between kṣatriya duty in battle and the tragic cost paid by living beings.
Sañjaya vividly describes a terrifying, blazing, fast-moving war-weapon/assault—capable of piercing vital points and killing men, horses, and elephants—emphasizing its fiery brilliance and unstoppable momentum (notably, drawn by six horses).