Shloka 4
Duryodhana’s Anxiety, Bhīṣma’s Reassurance, and Renewed Mobilization (दुर्योधनचिन्ता–भीष्मप्रत्याश्वासन–सेनानिर्गमनम्)
कार्मुक॑ तस्य चिच्छेद फाल्गुन: परवीरहा । अविध्यच्च भृशं तीकषणै: पत्रिभि: शत्रुकर्शन:
kārmukaṃ tasya ciccheda phālgunaḥ paravīrahā | avidhyac ca bhṛśaṃ tīkṣṇaiḥ patribhiḥ śatrukarśanaḥ ||
Sañjaya sprach: Phālguna (Arjuna), der Töter feindlicher Helden, hieb seinen Bogen entzwei. Dann traf der Bezwinger der Gegner ihn hart mit scharfen, befiederten Pfeilen—ein Bild entschlossener Kriegskunst, die einen gefährlichen Widersacher unter der moralischen Schwere des Krieges unschädlich macht.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined, targeted force in warfare: a warrior neutralizes an opponent’s capacity to harm (by cutting the bow) before inflicting further injury. Ethically, it reflects kṣatriya-dharma—decisive action within battle to protect one’s side and restrain imminent threat.
Sañjaya narrates that Arjuna (Phālguna) severs the opponent’s bow and then strikes him severely with sharp, feathered arrows, demonstrating battlefield dominance and the rapid disabling of an adversary.