Shloka 32
Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
पूर्णायतविसृष्टेन क्षुरेण निशितेन च । ध्वजमेकेन चिच्छेद भीमसेनस्य पत्रिणा,फिर धनुषको पूरी तरहसे खींचकर छोड़े हुए एक पंखयुक्त तीखे बाणसे भीमसेनकी ध्वजा काट डाली
pūrṇāyatavisṛṣṭena kṣureṇa niśitena ca | dhvajam ekena ciccheda bhīmasenasya patriṇā ||
Sañjaya said: With a razor-edged, keen arrow—drawn to the full and released with force, and winged for swift flight—he severed Bhīmasena’s banner in a single shot. In the moral atmosphere of the war, the act signals not merely physical prowess but a deliberate strike at an opponent’s emblem of honor and morale, intensifying the psychological contest that accompanies righteous combat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, actions carry symbolic weight: striking a banner targets an opponent’s honor and morale, showing that conflict involves ethical restraint, reputation, and psychological pressure alongside physical force.
Sañjaya reports that a warrior (implied from context) shoots a fully drawn, razor-edged, winged arrow and, with a single shot, cuts down Bhīma’s standard—an emphatic display of precision meant to unsettle the opposing side.