Shloka 35
ततः शरं सूर्यमरीचिसप्रभं सुवर्णवज्ोत्तमरत्नभूषितम् । महेन्द्रवज्ञा शनिपातदु:सहं मुमोच भीमाड़्विदारणक्षमम्,इसके बाद दुःशासनने सूर्यकी किरणोंके समान कान्तिमान्, सुवर्ण और हीरे आदि उत्तम रत्नोंसे विभूषित तथा देवराज इन्द्रके वज्र एवं विद्युत्पातके समान दुःसह एक ऐसा भयंकर बाण छोड़ा, जो भीमसेनके अंगोंको विदीर्ण कर देनेमें समर्थ था
tataḥ śaraṃ sūryamarīcisaprabhaṃ suvarṇavajr̥ttamaratnabhūṣitam | mahendravajrāśanipātaduḥsahaṃ mumoca bhīmāṅgavidāraṇakṣamam ||
Sañjaya said: Then he released an arrow radiant like the sun’s rays, adorned with gold and the finest jewels. Terrible and hard to endure like Indra’s thunderbolt and a lightning strike, it was capable of tearing apart Bhīmasena’s limbs. The scene underscores the war’s escalating ferocity, where martial prowess is displayed through ever more destructive weapons, pressing the ethical tension between heroic duty in battle and the brutal cost of violence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical strain of righteous warfare: even when battle is framed as duty, the means employed can become increasingly devastating. It invites reflection on how martial excellence and the pursuit of victory can intensify suffering, testing the boundaries of dharma in war.
Sañjaya describes a combatant releasing a fearsome, brilliantly radiant arrow—ornamented with gold and gems—likened to Indra’s thunderbolt and a lightning strike, and powerful enough to rip through Bhīma’s limbs.