Shloka 76
Śalya-hatānantarāṇi: Madrarāja-padānugānāṃ praskandana and the Pandava counter-encirclement (शल्यहतानन्तराणि—मद्रराजपदानुगानां प्रस्कन्दनम्)
तदादाय धनु: श्रेष्ठ वरिष्ठ: सर्वधन्विनाम्
tadādāya dhanuḥ śreṣṭhaṃ variṣṭhaḥ sarva-dhanvinām
Sañjaya said: Taking up that finest bow—supreme among all archers’ weapons—the foremost of all bowmen prepared to act, signaling the decisive resolve and martial responsibility demanded by the war’s grim dharma.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The line highlights the ethic of decisive responsibility in a righteous battle: the foremost warrior takes up the finest weapon, embodying readiness to fulfill kṣatriya-duty with resolve rather than hesitation.
Sañjaya narrates that the pre-eminent archer (implied from the surrounding context) takes up an excellent bow, marking a moment of preparation and escalation within the battlefield action.