Shloka 59
अन्यस्य सव्य: सह वर्मणा च क्षुरप्रकृत्त: पतितो धरण्याम् | एवं समस्तानपि योधमुख्यान् विध्वंसयामास किरीटमाली
anyasya savyaḥ saha varmaṇā ca kṣuraprakṛttaḥ patito dharaṇyām | evaṃ samastān api yodhamukhyān vidhvaṃsayāmāsa kirīṭamālī ||
Sañjaya berkata: Seorang lagi, lengan kirinya bersama zirahnya dikerat oleh anak panah setajam mata pisau dan jatuh ke bumi. Demikianlah sang pahlawan bermakuta (Kiritamālī) terus membinasakan bahkan para pemimpin utama di medan perang.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim reality of dharma-yuddha: even when fighting is framed as a Kṣatriya obligation, its execution is severe and irreversible. It highlights how prowess and duty in war can manifest as relentless destruction, reminding readers that ethical responsibility and the tragic cost of conflict remain inseparable.
Sañjaya reports a battlefield scene in which the diadem-wearing Arjuna severs a warrior’s left arm along with its armour using a razor-like missile, and continues in the same way to cut down many leading warriors.