Shloka 29
भीमसेनस्य कौरवसुतवधः तथा श्रुतर्वावधः
Slaying of Kaurava princes and the fall of Śrutarvā
तत्रैकबाणनिहतानपश्याम महागजान् । पतितान् पात्यमानांश्व निर्भिनज्नान् सव्यसाचिना
tatraika-bāṇa-nihatān apaśyāma mahā-gajān | patitān pātyamānāṁś ca nirbhinna-jñān savyasācinā ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Di sana kami melihat gajah-gajah perkasa ditumbangkan oleh hanya sebatang anak panah—ada yang sudah rebah, ada yang terus-menerus dijatuhkan—sedang tubuh mereka terkoyak oleh Savyasācin (Arjuna).” Rangkap ini menegaskan kecekapan seni perang yang menggerunkan di medan laga, ketika kekuatan dan nyawa terlerai sekelip mata, serta mengingatkan akan beban moral perang yang berat walau diperjuangkan atas nama dharma dan kewajipan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the awe-inspiring power of a warrior’s skill and the stark reality of war: even the mightiest beings can be destroyed instantly. Implicitly, it invites reflection on the ethical gravity of battlefield action, even when undertaken as kṣatriya-dharma.
Sañjaya reports what was witnessed on the battlefield: Arjuna (called Savyasācin) is felling huge elephants with single arrows; some lie already dead while others are still being brought down, their bodies visibly torn by the strikes.