Shloka 22
Irāvān-nidhana-anantaraṃ Ghaṭotkaca-nādaḥ
After Irāvān’s fall: Ghaṭotkaca’s roar and the clash with Duryodhana
अथापरेण भल्ल्लेन धनुश्चिच्छेद मारिष । सारथिं चास्य समरे क्षिप्रहस्तो न््यपातयत्,आर्य! फिर दूसरे भललसे उसका धनुष काट दिया और अपने हाथोंकी फुर्ती दिखाते हुए समरमें उसके सारथिको भी मार गिराया
athāpareṇa bhallena dhanuś ciccheda māriṣa | sārathiṃ cāsya samare kṣiprahasto nyapātayat ||
Sañjaya said: Then, with another sharp arrow, he cut the opponent’s bow. And, swift of hand in the thick of battle, he struck down that warrior’s charioteer as well—displaying decisive martial skill amid the grim duties of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reality of kṣatriya warfare: skill and speed can decisively disable an opponent (by cutting the bow) and shift the battle’s balance (by felling the charioteer). Ethically, it reflects how, within the war-code, tactical acts are treated as duty-bound necessities even though they carry grave human cost.
Sañjaya reports that a warrior shoots another bhalla-arrow, severs the enemy’s bow, and then quickly strikes down the enemy’s charioteer in the midst of combat.