Shloka 65
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ११०: पार्थभीमयोः प्रहारः तथा भीष्माभिमुखं संग्रामविस्तारः
Arjuna and Bhima’s pressure; escalation toward Bhishma
मण्डलेनैव धनुषा दृश्यसे संयुगे सदा । आददान संदधान विकर्षन्तं धनुर्न च
maṇḍalenai va dhanuṣā dṛśyase saṃyuge sadā | ādadānaṃ saṃdadhānaṃ vikarṣantaṃ dhanur na ca ||
Sanjaya said: In the thick of battle you are always seen only as a circling arc of bow—taking up arrows, setting them to the string, and drawing the bow again and again—so swift that the bowman himself is scarcely discerned.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how mastery arises from sustained discipline and single-pointed focus: in righteous combat, a warrior’s trained action becomes so continuous and precise that only the effect—here, the whirling arc of the bow—is perceived.
Sañjaya is describing a warrior on the battlefield whose rapid sequence of actions—grasping arrows, nocking them, and drawing the bow—creates the impression of a circular blur, emphasizing extraordinary speed and prowess amid the fighting.