Shloka 18
Nakula’s Engagement with Citra-sena and Karṇa’s Sons; Śalya Re-stabilizes the Kaurava Host
हाथीकी सूँड़के समान बहुत-सी भुजाएँ कटकर धरती-पर उछलती, लोटती और भयंकर वेग प्रकट करती थीं ।।
śirasāṃ ca mahārāja patatāṃ dharaṇītale | cyutānām iva tālebhyaḥ tālānāṃ śrūyate svanaḥ ||
Sañjaya disse: Muitos braços, como trombas de elefante, decepados, saltavam sobre a terra, rolavam e exibiam um ímpeto terrível. Ó Rei, quando as cabeças caíam ao chão, o som era ouvido como o baque pesado de frutos de palmeira ao despencarem das palmeiras.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse does not preach directly, but its stark simile highlights the human cost of war: life and identity (symbolized by the head) are reduced to falling objects. It implicitly presses the ethical tension in kṣatriya-dharma—duty in battle versus the grievous suffering battle produces.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: severed heads are falling to the ground, and the thudding sound is compared to palm fruits dropping from palm trees, intensifying the scene’s horror and realism.