Shloka 26
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 45: Saubhadra–Lakṣmaṇa-saṃyoga and Kaurava Counter-Encirclement
धनूंष्यश्वान् नियन्तृश्व ध्वजान् बाहूंश्व साड्भदान् । शिरांसि च शितैर्बाणैस्तेषां चिच्छेद फाल्गुनि:,अर्जुनकुमारने अपने तीखे बाणोंद्वारा उनके धनुष, घोड़े, सारथि, ध्वज, अंगदयुक्त बाहु तथा मस्तक भी काट डाले
dhanūṁṣy aśvān niyantṝṁś ca dhvajān bāhūṁś ca sāṅgadān | śirāṁsi ca śitair bāṇais teṣāṁ ciccheda phālguṇaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: With razor-sharp arrows, Phālguna (Arjuna) cut down their bows, their horses, their charioteers, their standards, their arms adorned with armlets, and even their heads.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh demands of kṣatriya-dharma in war: a warrior may employ decisive, even lethal, force to neutralize the enemy’s fighting capacity. Ethical emphasis lies in duty-driven action within the rules and aims of battle, rather than personal malice.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna, using sharp arrows, is systematically disabling and destroying the opposing side’s combat elements—bows, horses, charioteers, banners, and even limbs and heads—showing overwhelming dominance in the ongoing battle.