Shloka 19
Book 9 (Śalya-parva), Adhyāya 13 — Arjuna’s Arrow-storm and the Drauṇi Confrontation
स सात्यके: प्रचिच्छेद क्षुरप्रेण महद् धनु:
sa sātyakeḥ praciccheda kṣurapreṇa mahad dhanuḥ
Sañjaya sprach: Mit einem pfeilscharfen, rasiermesserscharfen Geschoss hieb er Sātyakis großen Bogen entzwei.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a key battlefield ethic within kṣatriya-dharma: victory is pursued through skillful neutralization of an opponent’s capacity to fight (here, by severing the bow), not only through inflicting injury—showing how martial prowess and tactical restraint can intersect in war.
In Sañjaya’s report of the battle, a warrior uses a razor-edged arrow to slice through Sātyaki’s large bow, effectively disarming him and altering the immediate balance of the duel.