Shloka 6
Irāvān-nidhana-anantaraṃ Ghaṭotkaca-nādaḥ
After Irāvān’s fall: Ghaṭotkaca’s roar and the clash with Duryodhana
अथापरेण भल््लेन केतुं तस्य महात्मन: । रथश्रेष्ठो रथात् तूर्ण भूमौ पार्थो न््यपातयत्
atha apareṇa bhallena ketuṁ tasya mahātmanaḥ | rathaśreṣṭho rathāt tūrṇaṁ bhūmau pārtho nyapātayat ||
Kemudian, dengan sebatang lagi anak panah berkepala lebar, Partha—yang terunggul antara para pahlawan kereta—memutuskan panji sang pejuang berhati besar itu dan dengan pantas menjatuhkannya dari kereta ke tanah.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined martial excellence within kshatriya-dharma: victory is pursued through skill and strategy, and symbolic targets like a banner (ketu) represent morale and honor. The ethical undertone is controlled force—asserting superiority by disabling an emblem and momentum rather than indulging in needless brutality.
Sanjaya narrates that Arjuna (Partha), using another bhalla arrow, cuts down the opponent’s chariot-banner and makes it fall from the chariot to the ground, marking a swift tactical and psychological blow in the battle.