संजय उवाच
स बाहुर् अपतद् भूमौ सखड्गः सशुभाङ्गदः ॥
आदधज् जीवलोकस्य दुःखम् उत्तमम् उत्तमः ॥
प्रहरिष्यन् हृतो बाहुर् अदृश्येन किरीटिना ॥
वेगेनाभ्यपतद् भूमौ पञ्चास्य इव पन्नगः ॥
स मोघं कृतम् आत्मानं दृष्ट्वा पार्थेन कौरवः ॥
उत्सृज्य सात्यकिं क्रोधाद् गर्हयाम् आस पाण्डवम् ॥
saṃjaya uvāca
sa bāhur apatad bhūmau sakhaḍgaḥ saśubhāṅgadaḥ ||
ādadhaj jīvalokasya duḥkham uttamam uttamaḥ ||
prahariṣyan hṛto bāhur adṛśyena kirīṭinā ||
vegenābhyapatad bhūmau pañcāsya iva pannagaḥ ||
sa moghaṃ kṛtam ātmānaṃ dṛṣṭvā pārthena kauravaḥ ||
utsṛjya sātyakiṃ krodhād garhayām āsa pāṇḍavam ||
That arm fell to the ground with its sword, with its beautiful bracelet, causing the world of the living the highest sorrow -- the arm of an excellent man. The arm, ready to strike, severed by the unseen Diademed One, fell swiftly to the ground like a five-headed serpent. The Kaurava, seeing himself brought to naught by the son of Pritha, released Satyaki and, in anger, reproached the Pandava.
13a9c9ff8068 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:25:13 PM UTC
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The arm raised to strike falls to the ground still holding its sword -- and the bard himself calls this "the highest sorrow of the world": an act that saved a friend still wounds the very fabric of justice. It is significant that Arjuna is called "unseen": the blow came from the side, not face to face. The verse teaches that even a necessary deed is darkened when done against the rules of honor; and the rescue of one becomes a wound to the shared sense of what is right.