Shloka 9
Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
स तालकेतोस्तीक्ष्णेन केतुमाहत्य पत्रिणा । भीष्मेण युयुधे वीरस्तस्य चानुरथै: सह,वीर अभिमन्युने तीखे बाणसे उस तालचिह्लित ध्वजको छेद डाला और भीष्म तथा उनके अनुगामी रथियोंके साथ युद्ध आरम्भ कर दिया
sa tālaketostīkṣṇena ketum āhatya patriṇā | bhīṣmeṇa yuyudhe vīras tasya cānurathaiḥ saha ||
Sañjaya said: The heroic warrior struck down the palm-tree-emblazoned banner with a sharp, feathered arrow, and then engaged Bhīṣma in battle—along with Bhīṣma’s supporting chariot-warriors who followed in his train.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the warrior ideal of steadfast courage and tactical focus in battle: disabling an opponent’s emblem (banner) is both a strategic act and a symbolic challenge, undertaken while still recognizing the gravity of fighting a revered elder like Bhīṣma under the constraints of kṣatriya-duty.
Sañjaya describes a hero striking down the palm-tree-marked banner with a sharp feathered arrow, then commencing direct combat with Bhīṣma and also facing Bhīṣma’s accompanying chariot-warriors (his supporting retinue).