Shloka 11
महाराज! उनके सायकोंसे अत्यन्त घायल होनेके कारण वे रक्तप्रवाहसे नहा उठे और वसन्तऋतुमें पुष्पोंसे भरे हुए रक्ताशोककी भाँति शोभा पाने लगे ।। तान् प्रत्यविध्यद् गाड़ेयस्सत्रिभिस्त्रिभिरजिद्ागै: । ट्रुपदस्य च भल्लेन धनुश्चिच्छेद मारिष,आर्य! उस समय गंगानन्दन भीष्मने उन सबको तीन-तीन सीधे जानेवाले बाणोंसे घायल कर दिया और एक भल्लके द्वारा द्रपदका धनुष काट दिया
sañjaya uvāca | mahārāja! teṣāṃ sāyakair atyanta-ghātatvāt te rudhira-pravāhena snātā iva babhūvuḥ, vasantar̥tau puṣpa-bharita-raktāśoka iva śobhāṃ lebhire || tān pratyavidhyad gāṅgeyaḥ sa-tribhis tribhir ajihmagaiḥ | drupadasya ca bhallena dhanuś ciccheda mārīṣa ||
Sañjaya dijo: ¡Oh rey!, heridos gravemente por aquellas flechas, parecían bañados en corrientes de sangre y resplandecían como los aśoka rojos en primavera, cargados de flores. Entonces Bhīṣma, hijo del Gaṅgā, atravesó a cada uno con tres saetas de vuelo recto; y con una flecha de ancha punta cercenó el arco de Drupada.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya code in war: skill and firmness are expected, yet actions often remain within recognizable battlefield norms—such as disabling an opponent by cutting the bow. It also shows how epic poetry frames even grim violence through aesthetic imagery, inviting reflection on duty, restraint, and the cost of conflict.
Sanjaya describes warriors badly wounded and drenched in blood, likened to red aśoka trees in spring. Bhīṣma then counterattacks, striking each opponent with three straight arrows, and specifically severs King Drupada’s bow with a bhalla, effectively disarming him.