Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 13
शल्यस्य पाण्डवसेनापीडनम् — Śalya’s Assault on the Pāṇḍava Host
with Omens and Bhīma’s Counter
अथीैनं छिन्नधन्वानं रुक्मपुड्खै: शिलाशितै:
athainaṃ chinnadhanvānaṃ rukmapuḍkhaiḥ śilāśitaiḥ
Sañjaya said: Then they struck him—now deprived of his bow—with arrows whose shafts were tipped with gold and whose heads were stone-sharpened, pressing the battle forward with relentless force even against a disarmed foe.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The line highlights the harsh momentum of war: once combat escalates, even a disarmed opponent may be pursued with lethal intent. It invites reflection on kṣatriya conduct—how martial duty and battlefield ferocity can conflict with ideals of restraint and fairness.
Sañjaya describes a warrior whose bow has been cut, leaving him disarmed; opponents then continue the assault using finely made, sharp arrows—gold-fitted shafts and stone-whetted points—emphasizing the intensity and technical lethality of the fighting.
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