Shloka 1023
गौरुडव्यूह-रचना तथा अर्धचन्द्र-प्रत्यव्यूह
Garuḍa Array and the Ardhacandra Counter-Formation
श्वेत: खड्गमथाकृष्य भीष्मस्य धनुराच्छिनत् । समस्त महामना पाण्डवोंके अवरुद्ध हो जानेपर श्वेतने तलवार खींचकर भीष्मका धनुष काट दिया
sañjaya uvāca | śvetaḥ khaḍgam athākṛṣya bhīṣmasya dhanur acchinat |
قال سنجيا: لما حُوصِر شفيتا، ذلك الباندفي العظيم النفس، وكُفَّ اندفاعه، استلَّ سيفه وقطع قوس بهِيشما.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even within a violent and morally complex war, actions are often framed through kṣatriya-dharma: courage under pressure, presence of mind, and choosing a means that neutralizes an opponent’s capacity to harm (cutting the bow) rather than indulging in needless cruelty. The episode highlights how duty and strategy intertwine when ethical clarity is strained by battlefield necessity.
Sanjaya reports that Śveta, when obstructed/hemmed in during combat, draws his sword and severs Bhīṣma’s bow, temporarily disarming the great commander and shifting the immediate balance of the encounter.