Shloka 14
शल्य–युधिष्ठिरयुद्धप्रारम्भः
Commencement of the Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Duel
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत शल्यपर्वमें संकुलयुद्धविषयक चौदहवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ,सर्वपारसवैर्बाणै: कर्मारपरिमार्जिति: । स्वर्णपुड्खै: शिलाधौतैर्धनुर्यन्त्रप्रचोदितै: वे बाण सब-के-सब लोहेके बने थे। कारीगरने उन्हें अच्छी तरह माँज-धोकर स्वच्छ बनाया था। उनमें सोनेके पंख लगे थे और उन्हें सानपर चढ़ाकर तेज किया गया था। वे दसों बाण धनुषरूपी यन्त्रपर रखकर चलाये गये थे
sarvapārṣṇavaiḥ bāṇaiḥ karmāraparimārjitaiḥ | svarṇapuṅkhaiḥ śilādhautaiḥ dhanuryantrapracoditaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Those arrows were all of iron, carefully cleaned and polished by the smith. They bore golden fletching, were whetted on stone to a keen edge, and were discharged with the force of a bow acting like a precise engine. The description underscores the deliberate, crafted efficiency of warfare—where human skill and intent turn tools into instruments of lethal consequence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war depends not only on bravery but on deliberate preparation—craft, sharpening, and mechanical force. Ethically, it points to the sobering reality that human skill can magnify harm when directed toward violence, urging reflection on intention and responsibility.
Sañjaya describes the arrows being used in the battle: iron shafts, expertly polished by a smith, fitted with golden fletching, sharpened on stone, and shot with the full impetus of the bow—emphasizing the intensity and technical precision of the fighting.