Shloka 72
Śalya–Bhīma Gadāyuddham (मद्रराज-भीमसेन गदायुद्धम्)
ततो विक्षिपत: खड्ग॑ सौभद्रस्य यशस्विन: । शरावरणपफफक्षान्ते प्रजहार जयद्रथ:,इसी समय तलवार चलाते हुए यशस्वी सुभद्राकुमारकी ढालपर जयद्रथने प्रहार किया
tato vikṣipataḥ khaḍgaṃ saubhadrasya yaśasvinaḥ | śarāvaraṇapṛṣṭhānte prajahāra jayadrathaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then, as the illustrious son of Subhadrā was brandishing his sword, Jayadratha struck at the end of his shield’s covering—an act of close-quarters aggression amid the chaos of battle, where skill and intent to disable the opponent momentarily override any gentler restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the immediacy of battlefield dharma in its tactical form: in close combat, a warrior seeks openings in an opponent’s defenses. Ethically, it underscores how war compresses moral choice into skillful, forceful action—valor and survival operating within the harsh frame of kṣatriya duty.
Sañjaya describes a moment of hand-to-hand intensity: Abhimanyu, the famed son of Subhadrā, is swinging his sword, and Jayadratha responds by striking at the edge/end of Abhimanyu’s shield covering, attempting to check or injure him through a vulnerable point.