Shloka 35
Adhyāya 108 — Nimitta-darśana and Drona’s counsel amid Arjuna’s advance (निमित्तदर्शनं द्रोणोपदेशश्च)
(आपतत्नेव भीमस्तु मद्रराजमताडयत् । सर्वपारशवैस्ती&णैनरिचैर्मर्म भेदिभि: ।।
sañjaya uvāca | āpatatneva bhīmas tu madrarājam atāḍayat | sarvapāraśavaiḥ tīkṣṇair narācair marma-bhedibhiḥ || tato bhīṣmaś ca droṇaś ca sainyena mahatā vṛtau | rājānam abhyapadyetām añjasā śaravarṣiṇau || tato yuddhaṃ mahāghoraṃ prāvartata sudāruṇam | aparāṃ diśam āsthāya patamāne divākare ||
Sañjaya said: As Bhīma rushed in, he struck King Śalya of Madra with sharp iron narāca arrows—barbed shafts capable of piercing vital points. Then Bhīṣma and Droṇa, both great chariot-warriors, surrounded by a vast force, swiftly came forward to protect King Śalya, showering arrows without pause. Thereupon, as the sun was sinking toward the western quarter, a most dreadful and fiercely destructive battle broke out between the two armies.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights kṣatriya conduct in war: fierce engagement is paired with the obligation to protect one’s ally and commander. Bhīṣma and Droṇa’s swift intervention models loyalty and guardianship within the martial code, even amid escalating violence.
Bhīma charges and wounds Śalya with sharp iron narāca arrows aimed to pierce vital points. Seeing Śalya endangered, Bhīṣma and Droṇa arrive with a large force, raining arrows to shield him. As the sun sets in the west, the fighting intensifies into a dreadful battle between the armies.