Shloka 46
Adhyāya 104 — Śikhaṇḍin-puraskāraḥ (Śikhaṇḍin as Vanguard) and Bhīṣma’s Counter-Advance
सोअन्यत् कार्मुकमादाय शत्रुघ्न भारसाधनम् | द्रौर्णिं षष्ट्या महाराज बाह्दोरुरसि चार्पयत्
so 'nyat kārmukam ādāya śatrughna-bhāra-sādhanam | drauṇiṁ ṣaṣṭyā mahārāja bāhvor urasi cārpayat ||
Sañjaya said: Then, O King, taking up another bow—mighty enough to bear the strain of battle and deadly to foes—Sātyaki drove sixty arrows into Droṇa’s son Aśvatthāmā, striking his arms and chest. The scene underscores the relentless escalation of combat, where skill and resolve are turned toward destruction, and valor is inseparable from the grave moral weight of violence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how martial excellence and steadfastness in war (kṣatriya-dharma) can coexist with the sobering ethical reality that victory is pursued through injury and destruction; it invites reflection on the moral weight carried by warriors even when acting within their duty.
Sañjaya reports that Sātyaki, switching to another strong bow, shoots sixty arrows at Aśvatthāmā (Droṇa’s son), piercing his arms and chest—an intense exchange within the Kurukṣetra battle.