Shloka 28
अर्जुनस्य द्रोणिप्रतिघातः कर्णोपसर्पणं च
Arjuna Checks Droṇaputra; Karṇa Advances
इतना ही नहीं, उन्होंने हितैषी सुहृदोंके बीचमें उनके देखते-देखते कर्णके पुत्र भानुसेनको दस बाणोंसे घोड़े, सारथि, आयुध और ध्वजोंसहित मार गिराया ।।
kṣurapraṇunnaṃ tat tasya śiraś candranibhānanam | śubhadarśanam evāsīj jānāl bhraṣṭam ivāmbujam ||
Sañjaya berkata: Kepala Bhānusena—wajahnya elok laksana bulan—dipenggal oleh anak panah yang tajam seperti pisau cukur. Bahkan ketika jatuh, ia tampak indah, seperti bunga teratai yang terputus dari tangkainya. Rangkap ini menonjolkan estetika suram perang epik: keberanian dan pertalian darah tidak menghalang akibat yang tak terelakkan, dan kematian diceritakan dengan kejernihan yang hampir bersifat upacara.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the Mahābhārata’s sober war-ethic: even noble lineage and personal bonds cannot halt the consequences of adharma-driven conflict. It also shows how epic narration can describe death with controlled, almost ceremonial imagery, reminding the listener of impermanence amid martial glory.
Sañjaya reports that Bhānusena’s head is cut off by a razor-edged arrow; as it falls, it is compared to a lotus flower broken from its stalk, emphasizing both the suddenness of death and the poetic simile used to depict the scene.