ततो नैवार्जुनस् तत्र न रथो न च केशवः ॥
प्रत्यदृश्यत घोरेण शरवर्षेण संवृतः ॥
ततस् ते लब्धलक्ष्यत्वाद् अन्योन्यम् अभिचुक्रुशुः ॥
हतौ कृष्णाव् इति प्रीता वासांस्य् आदुधुवुस् तदा ॥
भेरीमृदङ्गशङ्खांश् च दध्मुर् वीराः सहस्रशः ॥
सिंहनादरवांश् चोग्रांश् चक्रिरे तत्र मारिष ॥
tato naivārjunas tatra na ratho na ca keśavaḥ ||
pratyadṛśyata ghoreṇa śaravarṣeṇa saṃvṛtaḥ ||
tatas te labdhalakṣyatvād anyonyam abhicukruśuḥ ||
hatau kṛṣṇāv iti prītā vāsāṃsy ādudhuvus tadā ||
bherīmṛdaṅgaśaṅkhāṃś ca dadhmur vīrāḥ sahasraśaḥ ||
siṃhanādaravāṃś cogrāṃś cakrire tatra māriṣa ||
Then neither Arjuna nor the chariot nor Keshava was any longer visible there — all veiled by that terrible shower of arrows. Deeming they had struck their mark, the enemies hailed one another with jubilant cries: "Both Krishnas are slain!" — and, delighted, waved their garments in triumph. Thousands of those warriors sounded drums, mridangas, and conches, and let loose savage lion-roars there, O worthy one.
600406e8c749 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:00:04 PM UTC
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The enemies triumph over emptiness: "both Krishnas are slain!" they cry, though only the bodily outlines are hidden, veiled by a cloud of arrows — not Krishna and Arjuna themselves. Here shows the haste of one who mistakes what he wishes for what has already happened: the target has scarcely vanished from sight before they sound victory. It is telling that the jubilation is loudest just before the disgrace — the higher the empty exultation, the deeper the fall that follows. The verse teaches that one cannot celebrate the defeat of the Truth merely because it has momentarily withdrawn from sight; that premature triumph betrays not strength but credulity; and that one who mistakes the temporary invisibility of the Supreme for its destruction only prepares for himself the bitterest awakening.