Shloka 53
Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
निकृत्तान्येव तानि सम समदृश्यन्त भारत । ततस्ते तु निमेषार्धात् प्रत्यपद्यन् धनूंषि च
sañjaya uvāca |
nikṛttāny eva tāni samaṃ samadṛśyanta bhārata |
tatas te tu nimeṣārdhāt pratyapadyan dhanūṃṣi ca bhārata |
śvetasyopari caikataḥ sapta bāṇān vyasṛjan |
atha ameyātma-balopetaḥ mahā-bāhuḥ śvetaḥ punaḥ śīghra-gāmibhiḥ sapta bhallaiḥ teṣāṃ dhanurdharāṇāṃ dhanūṃṣi ciccheda ||
Sañjaya said: O Bhārata, the severed bows were then clearly seen lying evenly cut. Immediately—within half the blink of an eye—those bowmen took up other bows and, all at once, discharged seven arrows at Śveta. Then Śveta, the mighty-armed warrior endowed with immeasurable strength of spirit, swiftly struck with seven fast-flying bhalla arrows and again cut down the bows of those archers.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores kṣatriya discipline: mastery over weapons, presence of mind, and swift, proportionate response in battle. Ethical context lies in using skill as duty-bound action (dharma) rather than cruelty—precision that disables the opponent’s capacity to fight (cutting bows) rather than indiscriminate slaughter.
After their bows are cut, the opposing archers quickly take new bows and shoot seven arrows at Śveta simultaneously. Śveta immediately counters with seven fast bhalla arrows and cuts their bows again, demonstrating superior speed and accuracy.