Shloka 44
भीष्मभीमसमागमः — Bhīṣma–Bhīma Strategic Engagement and Counsel to the King
तेषां राजसहस््राणां हयानां दन्तिनां तथा । द्वाभ्यां त्रिभि: शरैश्नान्यान् पार्थो विव्याध मारिष
teṣāṁ rājasahasrāṇāṁ hayānāṁ dantināṁ tathā | dvābhyāṁ tribhiḥ śaraiś cānyān pārtho vivyādha māriṣa ||
Sañjaya said: Among those thousands of kings, Arjuna—the son of Pṛthā—struck some of their horses and elephants with two arrows, and others with three, wounding them with measured force amid the press of battle. The narration highlights his disciplined martial skill: even in war, his action is controlled rather than reckless, aimed at disabling the enemy’s power without needless excess.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse implicitly underscores disciplined force in a dharmic battle: Arjuna’s strikes are precise and proportionate, reflecting controlled skill rather than uncontrolled violence.
Sañjaya reports that Arjuna, facing a vast host, wounds some horses and elephants belonging to thousands of kings, using two or three arrows depending on the target—showing tactical precision in the battlefield.