Shloka 54
Vāsudeva-Māhātmya: Duryodhana’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Theological Account of Keśava
ततः पार्थो धनुर्गृह्ा दिव्यं जलदनि:स्वनम् । पातयामास भीष्मस्य धनुश्कछित्त्वा त्रिभि: शरै:,तब अर्जुनने मेघके समान गम्भीर घोष करनेवाले दिव्य धनुषको हाथमें लेकर तीन बाणोंसे भीष्मके धनुषको काट गिराया
tataḥ pārtho dhanur gṛhya divyaṁ jaladanisvanam | pātayāmāsa bhīṣmasya dhanuś chittvā tribhiḥ śaraiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then Pārtha (Arjuna), taking up his divine bow that resounded like a thundercloud, struck down Bhīṣma’s bow—cutting it with three arrows.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid violence, dharma emphasizes disciplined action: skill, restraint, and purpose. Arjuna’s precise disabling of Bhīṣma’s weapon highlights controlled force rather than indiscriminate harm, aligning martial prowess with duty.
Sañjaya describes Arjuna taking up his thunderous divine bow and, with three arrows, cutting Bhīṣma’s bow so that it falls—an episode of tactical superiority in the Bhīṣma-led battle.