Shloka 62
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 95 — Sātyaki’s Breakthrough and the Routing of Allied Contingents
धनुश्वास्यापरैश्छित्त्वा शरै: पार्थों विचक्रमे । अम्बष्ठस्तु गदां गृह कोपपर्याकुलेक्षण:
dhanuḥśvāsya-aparaiś chittvā śaraiḥ pārtho vicakrame | ambaṣṭhas tu gadāṃ gṛhya kopaparyākulekṣaṇaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Having cut down the bow and its string with other arrows, Pārtha (Arjuna) advanced with swift maneuvering. But Ambaṣṭha, seizing his mace, looked on with eyes agitated by anger—his wrath driving him from ranged combat into brutal close-quarters assault.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts disciplined skill with anger-driven reaction: Arjuna’s precise, strategic severing of the bow and string shows controlled mastery, while Ambaṣṭha’s rage pushes him toward a more violent, close-range response—implying that wrath can narrow judgment even in a dharmic battlefield.
Sañjaya describes Arjuna cutting an opponent’s bow and bowstring with arrows and then advancing. In response, the warrior Ambaṣṭha grabs a mace, his eyes turbulent with anger, preparing to engage in close combat.