Shloka 41
मर्मच्छिदं शोणितमांसदिग्ध॑ वैश्वानरार्कप्रतिमं महाहम् । नराश्वनागासुहरं >यरत्निं षड्वाजमगज्जोगतिमुग्रवेगम्
marma-cchidaṁ śoṇita-māṁsa-digdhaṁ vaiśvānara-arka-pratimaṁ mahāham | narāśva-nāgāsu-haraṁ hayaratnaṁ ṣaḍvājam agaj-joga-tim ugra-vegam ||
Wika ni Sañjaya: “Ito’y isang makapangyarihan at kakila-kilabot na sandata—tumutusok sa mga mahalagang bahagi, nababalutan ng dugo at laman, nagliliyab na parang diyos ng apoy at parang Araw. Tagapaglipol ito ng tao, kabayo, at elepante; isang mahalagang gantimpala ng digmaan, humahagibis sa di-mapipigil na bagsik na bilis, na wari’y isang karwaheng pandigma na hinihila ng anim na kabayo.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the catastrophic power unleashed in war: when weapons are driven by wrath and rivalry, they become indiscriminate life-takers. Ethically, it highlights the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between kṣatriya duty in battle and the tragic cost paid by living beings.
Sañjaya vividly describes a terrifying, blazing, fast-moving war-weapon/assault—capable of piercing vital points and killing men, horses, and elephants—emphasizing its fiery brilliance and unstoppable momentum (notably, drawn by six horses).