Shloka 56
कर्णपर्व — पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः | Karṇa Parva, Chapter 15: Pāṇḍya’s Advance and Aśvatthāmā’s Counterstroke
संतस्तार क्षितिं क्षिप्रं विनालैनलिनैरिव । धनंजयने अपने तीखे भल्लोंसे वीरोंके सुन्दर नेत्र, भौंह और दाँतोंसे सुशोभित, पूर्ण चन्द्रमाके समान मनोहर मुखवाले मस्तकोंको काट-काटकर तुरंत ही वहाँकी धरतीको पाट दिया, मानो वहाँ बिना नालके कमल बिछा दिये हों
sañjaya uvāca | saṃtastāra kṣitiṃ kṣipraṃ vinālainalinair iva | dhanañjayena apane tīkṣṇaiḥ bhallaiḥ vīrāṇāṃ sundara-netra-bhrū-danta-śobhitān pūrṇa-candramā-samaṃ manohara-mukhavālīn mastakān chittvā-chittvā tatraiva bhūmiṃ kṣaṇena pātayām āsa, yathā tatra vināla-kamalāni bistaritāni syuḥ ||
Sañjaya disse: Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), com suas flechas bhalla afiadas como lâminas, decepou rápida e repetidamente as cabeças dos guerreiros—cabeças ornadas de belos olhos, sobrancelhas e dentes, com rostos encantadores como a lua cheia—e, num instante, atapetou o chão daquele lugar, como se a terra tivesse sido semeada de lótus sem haste.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the paradox of righteous warfare: a kṣatriya’s duty may demand decisive force, yet the poetic imagery also makes the human cost unmistakable, inviting reflection on dharma performed amid tragic consequences.
Sañjaya describes Arjuna’s battlefield feat: with sharp bhalla arrows he repeatedly beheads opposing warriors, so that the ground appears covered with severed heads, compared to a spread of stemless lotuses.