Shloka 32
अध्याय २२ — अमर्याद-युद्धवर्णन
Unrestrained Battle Description and Śakuni’s Rear Assault
दुर्योधनो धनुश्कछित्त्वा धृष्टद्युम्नस्य संयुगे
duryodhano dhanuṣkaṃ chittvā dhṛṣṭadyumnasya saṃyuge
Sañjaya said: In the thick of battle, Duryodhana cut down Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s bow, seeking to break his opponent’s fighting capacity and assert dominance through martial skill. The moment underscores how, in war, disabling an enemy’s means of combat becomes a decisive tactic—yet it also reflects the grim ethic of the battlefield, where victory is pursued through forceful advantage rather than reconciliation.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic where tactical superiority—such as disabling an opponent’s weapon—can decide outcomes. It invites reflection on how war prioritizes victory and survival over gentler moral ideals, even while operating within the accepted codes of kṣatriya combat.
Sañjaya reports that Duryodhana, engaged with Dhṛṣṭadyumna in combat, cuts Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s bow, momentarily disarming him and shifting the advantage in the duel.