Shloka 21
अम्बा-शाल्वसंवादः | Amba’s Appeal to Śālva and His Refusal
फिर एक-एक बाण मारकर मैंने समरभूमिमें उनके घोड़ों, हाथियों और सारथियोंको भी धराशायी कर दिया
punar ekaikena bāṇena mayā samara-bhūmau teṣāṃ aśvān gajān sārathīṃś ca api dharāśāyinaḥ kṛtāḥ
Bhīṣma said: “Then, striking with arrows one by one, I brought down on the battlefield even their horses, elephants, and charioteers.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh moral gravity of warfare: a warrior’s prowess can dismantle not only opponents but also the supporting lives and instruments of battle (mounts and charioteers). It invites reflection on how dharma in war often involves tragic necessity and escalating harm.
Bhishma recounts a combat episode in which he shoots arrows one after another and causes the enemy’s horses, elephants, and charioteers to fall on the battlefield, effectively crippling their fighting capacity.