Shloka 19
Adhyāya 104 — Śikhaṇḍin-puraskāraḥ (Śikhaṇḍin as Vanguard) and Bhīṣma’s Counter-Advance
तेन ते विशिखा मुक्ता यमदण्डोपमा: शिता:
tena te viśikhā muktā yamadaṇḍopamāḥ śitāḥ
Dijo Sañjaya: Entonces él soltó aquellas flechas afiladas, semejantes al bastón punitivo de Yama, presagiando la muerte y la consecuencia inexorable de la violencia en el campo de batalla.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The simile ‘like Yama’s rod’ frames warfare as an arena where actions swiftly yield grave consequences: violence carries the shadow of death and moral retribution, reminding the listener that deeds on the battlefield are not ethically neutral.
Sanjaya describes a combat moment in which a warrior releases sharp arrows; their deadliness is emphasized by comparing them to Yama’s punitive staff, signaling that the volley is intended to strike decisively and lethally.