Shloka 103
Book 9 (Śalya-parva), Adhyāya 13 — Arjuna’s Arrow-storm and the Drauṇi Confrontation
शरैराशीविषाकारैज्वलज्ज्वलनसंनिभै: । तब सहदेवने संग्राममें दूसरे धनुषपर प्रत्यंचा चढ़ाकर अपने अत्यन्त तेजस्वी मामाको विषधर सर्पोंके समान भयंकर और जलती हुई आगके समान प्रज्वलित पाँच बाणोंद्वारा घायल कर दिया
sañjaya uvāca |
śarair āśīviṣākārair jvalaj-jvalana-saṃnibhaiḥ |
tataḥ sahadevena saṅgrāme dvitīye dhanuṣi pratyāñcāṃ samāropya svaṃ atyanta-tejasvinaṃ māmakaṃ viṣadhara-sarpa-samānaiḥ bhīṣaṇaiḥ jvalitāgni-samaprabhaiḥ pañcabhir bāṇair viddham |
Sañjaya sprach: Dann, mitten im Kampf, spannte Sahadeva den Bogen erneut und traf meinen Onkel, einen überaus tapferen Krieger, mit fünf Pfeilen, schrecklich wie Giftschlangen und lodernd wie Feuer.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in its starkest form: a warrior must act decisively in battle to uphold duty, yet the imagery of venom and fire reminds the listener that violence is inherently dreadful and morally weighty even when performed as obligation.
Sanjaya describes Sahadeva re-stringing (or taking up another) bow and then piercing a Kaurava-aligned fighter (‘one of ours’) with five arrows, compared to poisonous serpents and blazing fire, emphasizing the ferocity of the encounter.