Shloka 139
अर्जुनस्य शीघ्रप्रयाणं भीम-शकुनियुद्धं च
Arjuna’s Rapid Advance and the Bhīma–Śakuni Encounter
एवमुक्तस्तु कृष्णेन गृह भल्लांक्षतुर्दश । त्वरमाणस्त्वराकाले द्रौणेर्धनुरथच्छिनत्
evam uktas tu kṛṣṇena gṛhītvā bhallān caturdaśa | tvaramāṇas tvarā-kāle drauṇer dhanur atha cchinat ||
সঞ্জয় বললেন—কৃষ্ণের এ কথা শুনে অর্জুন চৌদ্দটি ভল্ল বাণ হাতে নিলেন; সময়ের তাড়না বুঝে তিনি দ্রুত দ্ৰৌণি (অশ্বত্থামা)-র ধনুক কেটে ফেললেন।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in warfare, dharma is upheld through disciplined responsiveness: Kṛṣṇa’s counsel and Arjuna’s timely action show that preventing an opponent’s harmful escalation can be an ethical necessity, not mere aggression.
After Kṛṣṇa speaks, Arjuna rapidly takes fourteen bhalla-arrows and, acting at the critical moment, cuts Aśvatthāman’s bow—disarming him and shifting the immediate balance of the fight.