Shloka 4
भीष्मस्य जलप्रार्थना — अर्जुनस्य पर्जन्यास्त्रप्रयोगः — दुर्योधनं प्रति सन्ध्युपदेशः
Bhīṣma’s request for water; Arjuna’s Parjanya-astra; counsel to Duryodhana on reconciliation
शल्यस्तु नवभिर्बाणैर्भीमसेनमताडयत् । कृतवर्मा त्रिभिर्बाणै: कृपश्च नवशभि: शरै:,शल्यने नौ बाणोंसे भीमसेनको गहरी चोट पहुँचायी। फिर कृतवर्मने तीन और कृपाचार्यने उन्हें नौ बाण मारे
śalyas tu navabhir bāṇair bhīmasenam atāḍayat | kṛtavarmā tribhir bāṇaiḥ kṛpaś ca navaśabhiḥ śaraiḥ ||
Sañjaya dijo: Śalya hirió a Bhīmasena con nueve flechas, causándole una herida grave. Luego Kṛtavarmā lo atravesó con tres, y Kṛpa (Kṛpācārya) con nueve saetas más. La escena subraya la violencia implacable y coordinada del campo de batalla, donde la destreza y el deber hacia el propio bando empujan a los guerreros a explotar la ventaja sin tregua.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reality of kṣatriya warfare: once battle is joined, warriors act with unwavering commitment to their chosen side and duty, even when it means inflicting severe harm. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s tension between dharma as obligation and the human cost of violence.
Sañjaya reports that Śalya wounds Bhīma with nine arrows; immediately afterward, Kṛtavarmā and then Kṛpa also shoot Bhīma with additional arrows, showing a concentrated, sequential assault on a key Pāṇḍava fighter.