Shloka 41
Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Duel and the Discharge of the Śakti (शल्यवधप्रसङ्गः)
पुनश्चास्य धनुश्चित्रं गजराजकरोपमम् । क्षुरेण शितधारेण प्रचकर्त नराधिप:,तत्पश्चात् राजा दुर्योधनने तीखी धारवाले क्षुरसे भीमसेनके विचित्र धनुषको भी, जो हाथीकी सूँड़के समान था, काट डाला
punaścāsya dhanuś citraṃ gajarāja-karopamam | kṣureṇa śitadhāreṇa pracakarta narādhipaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then again the king (Duryodhana), with a razor-edged weapon of keen, sharp blade, cut apart Bhīmasena’s wondrous bow—shaped like the trunk of a lordly elephant—thus intensifying the ruthless momentum of the duel and displaying the war’s grim ethic of disabling an opponent’s means of combat rather than sparing him.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic where victory is pursued by neutralizing the opponent’s capacity to fight (here, cutting the bow). It reflects the harsh reality of kṣatriya warfare: skill and resolve are praised, yet the means are uncompromising, reminding the listener that war rapidly erodes gentler moral considerations.
In the ongoing duel, Duryodhana uses a sharp, razor-like weapon to sever Bhīma’s ornate bow, likened to an elephant’s trunk. The action is a tactical move to disarm and pressure Bhīma by destroying his primary weapon.