Shloka 53
Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
निकृत्तान्येव तानि सम समदृश्यन्त भारत । ततस्ते तु निमेषार्धात् प्रत्यपद्यन् धनूंषि च,भारत! वे सातों धनुष कट जानेपर ही दृष्टिमें आये। तदनन्तर उन सबने आधे निमेषमें ही दूसरे धनुष ले लिये और श्वेतके ऊपर एक ही साथ सात बाण चलाये। तब अमेय आत्मबलसे युक्त महाबाह श्वेतने पुनः शीघ्रगामी सात भलल मारकर उन थधनुर्धरोंके धनुष काट दिये
sañjaya uvāca |
nikṛttāny eva tāni samaṃ samadṛśyanta bhārata |
tatas te tu nimeṣārdhāt pratyapadyan dhanūṃṣi ca bhārata |
śvetasyopari caikataḥ sapta bāṇān vyasṛjan |
atha ameyātma-balopetaḥ mahā-bāhuḥ śvetaḥ punaḥ śīghra-gāmibhiḥ sapta bhallaiḥ teṣāṃ dhanurdharāṇāṃ dhanūṃṣi ciccheda ||
হে ভাৰত! কটা ধনুবোৰ সমানকৈ ছিন্ন হৈ পৰি থকা স্পষ্ট দেখা গ’ল। তাৰপিছত অর্ধ নিমেষৰ ভিতৰতে তেওঁলোকে আন ধনু ধৰি একেলগে শ্বেতৰ ওপৰত সাতটা বাণ নিক্ষেপ কৰিলে। তেতিয়া অপৰিমেয় আত্মবলযুক্ত মহাবাহু শ্বেতে দ্ৰুতগামী সাত ভল্ল বাণে পুনৰ তেওঁলোকৰ ধনু কাটি পেলালে।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores kṣatriya discipline: mastery over weapons, presence of mind, and swift, proportionate response in battle. Ethical context lies in using skill as duty-bound action (dharma) rather than cruelty—precision that disables the opponent’s capacity to fight (cutting bows) rather than indiscriminate slaughter.
After their bows are cut, the opposing archers quickly take new bows and shoot seven arrows at Śveta simultaneously. Śveta immediately counters with seven fast bhalla arrows and cuts their bows again, demonstrating superior speed and accuracy.