Shloka 15
Arjuna’s Advance toward Bhīṣma; The Gāṇḍīva’s Signal and the Armies’ Convergence (भीष्माभिमुखगमनम् — गाण्डीवनिर्घोष-ध्वजवर्णनम्)
विव्याध दशभिस्ती क्षण: शरै: कनकभूषणै: । नन्दकं च त्रिभिबणिरभ्यविध्यत् स्तनान्तरे
sañjaya uvāca | vivyādha daśabhis tīkṣṇaiḥ śaraiḥ kanakabhūṣaṇaiḥ | nandakaṃ ca tribhir bāṇair abhyavidhyat stanāntare rājān |
قال سانجيا: لما قال ذلك، طعن بهيما ابن كونتي ابنَك دوريوذانا بعشر سهام حادّة مزينة بالذهب؛ ثم أصاب ناندكا بثلاثة سهام أخرى فأحدث به جرحًا غائرًا في صدره، أيها الملك.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reality of kṣatriya warfare: once battle is joined, duty to one’s side and the pursuit of victory compel swift, forceful action. Ethically, it reflects how dharma in war is framed as disciplined valor, even while the human cost remains stark.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīma shoots Duryodhana with ten sharp, gold-adorned arrows and then strikes a warrior named Nandaka with three arrows in the chest, indicating a serious wound amid the ongoing combat.