Shloka 83
Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
शिरो गृहीत्वा केशेषु कबन्ध: सम प्रदृश्यते । उद्यम्य च शितं खड््गं रुधिरेण परिप्लुतम्,वहाँ कोई-कोई कबन्ध (धड़) ऐसा दिखायी दिया, जो एक हाथमें शत्रुके कटे हुए मस्तकको केशसहित पकड़े हुए और दूसरे हाथमें खूनसे रँगी हुई तीखी तलवार उठाये खड़ा था
śiro gṛhītvā keśeṣu kabandhaḥ sama pradṛśyate | udyamya ca śitaṃ khaḍgaṃ rudhireṇa pariplutam |
Wika ni Sañjaya: “Sa kakila-kilabot na larangan, may makikita rito’t roon na mga katawang pugot-ulo na wari’y buhay pa—sa isang kamay ay hawak ang pinutol na ulo ng kaaway sa buhok, at sa kabila’y nakataas ang matalim na tabak na nababalot ng dugo.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dehumanizing horror of war: even bodies seem to act on, symbolizing how violence can overpower normal moral sensibility. It implicitly warns that adharma-driven conflict brings catastrophic suffering, even when framed within kṣatriya duty.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the terrifying sights on the battlefield: headless torsos (kabandhas) appear to stand and fight, one holding a severed head by the hair and brandishing a sharp, blood-drenched sword.