Shloka 26
गदां च सहदेवेन शरौघै: समवारयत् | इसी प्रकार उन्होंने नकुलकी चलायी हुई स्वर्ण-दण्ड-विभूषित भयंकर शक्तिका तथा सहदेवकी फेंकी हुई गदाका भी अपने बाणसमूहोंद्वारा निवारण कर दिया ।। शराभ्यां च शतध्नीं तां राज्ञश्चिच्छेद भारत
gadāṃ ca sahadevena śaraughaiḥ samavārayat | śarābhyāṃ ca śatadhnīṃ tāṃ rājñaś ciccheda bhārata ||
Sañjaya said: With a dense volley of arrows he checked even the mace hurled by Sahadeva. And with two arrows, O Bhārata, he cut down that śataghnī weapon belonging to the king—thus displaying the ruthless precision of battle where skill and resolve decide the fate of even the most fearsome missiles.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of disciplined prowess: even amid lethal violence, mastery and alertness function as a form of restraint—neutralizing threats swiftly to protect one’s side. It also underscores the Mahābhārata’s ethical tension: excellence in war is admired, yet it serves a tragic, destructive end.
In Sañjaya’s battlefield report, a warrior counters Sahadeva’s thrown mace with a concentrated volley of arrows, and then severs a powerful śataghni weapon with two arrows. The scene emphasizes rapid defensive skill and the escalation of weaponry in the Shalya Parva battles.