Shloka 10
Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
कृतवर्माणमेकेन शल्यं पठ्चभिराशुगै: । विद्ध्वा नवभिरानर्च्छच्छिताग्रै: प्रपितामहम्,उन्होंने एक बाणसे कृतवर्माको और पाँच शीघ्रगामी बाणोंसे शल्यको बेधकर तीखी धारवाले नौ बाणोंसे प्रपितामह भीष्मको भी चोट पहुँचायी
kṛtavarmāṇam ekena śalyaṃ pañcabhir āśugaiḥ | viddhvā navabhir ānarcchac chitāgraiḥ prapitāmaham ||
Sañjaya sprach: Mit einem einzigen Pfeil traf er Kṛtavarmā; mit fünf schnellfliegenden Geschossen durchbohrte er Śalya; und dann verwundete er auch den ehrwürdigen Ahn Bhīṣma mit neun scharf zugespitzten Pfeilen.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the uncompromising momentum of dharma-bound warfare: once battle is joined under pledged allegiance, even revered elders like Bhīṣma become legitimate targets within the rules of combat. It invites reflection on the tension between reverence for elders and the harsh necessities of kṣatriya duty.
Sañjaya reports a sequence of precise attacks: one arrow hits Kṛtavarmā, five swift arrows pierce Śalya, and nine sharp-pointed arrows then strike Bhīṣma, showing the attacker’s speed and martial control amid the Kurukṣetra fighting.