Shloka 50
Bhagadatta’s Advance, the Saṃśaptaka Challenge, and Arjuna’s Counterstrike (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय २६)
तस्याभिद्रवतो वाहान् हस्तमुक्तेन वारिणा
tasyābhidravato vāhān hastamuktena vāriṇā
Sañjaya said: As he charged forward, his steeds were struck and checked by water released from the hand—an act that momentarily restrains violence without direct slaughter, showing how even in war tactical restraint can redirect the course of harm.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid righteous warfare, the manner of action matters: restraining harm through a non-lethal tactic can be ethically significant, reflecting measured force rather than uncontrolled violence.
Sañjaya describes a combat moment where a charging warrior’s horses are affected—checked or driven back—by water thrown or discharged by hand, interrupting the advance and altering the immediate battle movement.