Shloka 1
(दाक्षिणात्य अधिक पाठके ८ ३ श्लोक मिलाकर कुल ४४३ “लोक हैं।) भीकम (2 अमान ग्रय्शीतितमो<ध्याय: भीमद्वारा दुःशासनका रक्तपान और उसका वध, युधामन्युद्वारा चित्रसेनका वध तथा भीमका हर्षोद्गार संजय उवाच तत्राकरोद् दुष्करं राजपुत्रो दुःशासनस्तुमुलं युद्ध्यमान: । चिच्छेद भीमस्य धनु: शरेण षष्ट्या शरै: सारथिमप्यविध्यत्,संजय कहते हैं--राजन्! वहाँ तुमुल युद्ध करते हुए राजकुमार दुःशासनने दुष्कर पराक्रम प्रकट किया। उसने एक बाणसे भीमसेनका धनुष काट डाला और साठ बाणोंसे उनके सारथिको भी घायल कर दिया
sañjaya uvāca | tatrākarod duṣkaraṃ rājaputro duḥśāsanas tumulaṃ yuddhyamānaḥ | ciccheda bhīmasya dhanuḥ śareṇa ṣaṣṭyā śaraiḥ sārathim apy avidhyat |
Sañjaya said: O King, there Duhśāsana, the prince, displayed a feat hard to accomplish while fighting in that tumultuous battle. With a single arrow he cut Bhīma’s bow, and with sixty arrows he struck even Bhīma’s charioteer as well.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Martial excellence (śaurya/kaushala) is ethically neutral by itself; in the Mahābhārata it becomes morally meaningful only when aligned with dharma. Duhśāsana’s impressive skill is narrated without endorsing his cause, reminding the listener that power used in an unrighteous trajectory deepens the tragedy of war.
In the thick of battle, Duhśāsana performs a striking act of archery: he severs Bhīma’s bow with one arrow and then wounds Bhīma’s charioteer with sixty arrows, intensifying the combat and setting up Bhīma’s retaliatory fury later in the episode.