Shloka 21
Saubhadra under Concentrated Assault; Pārṣata’s Intervention and Escalation
भल््लान् सुनिशितान् पीतान् रुक्मपुंखान् सुदारुणान् । ते तस्य कवचं भित्त्वा पपु: शोणितमाहवे
sañjaya uvāca |
bhallān suniśitān pītān rukmapuṅkhān sudāruṇān |
te tasya kavacaṃ bhittvā papuḥ śoṇitam āhave ||
Sañjaya dijo: «Entonces disparó flechas “bhalla”: bien afiladas, de tono amarillento, con emplumado de oro y terriblemente temibles. Esos dardos, al atravesar su armadura, bebieron su sangre en el campo de batalla».
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse is primarily descriptive rather than doctrinal: it highlights the grim reality of righteous war (kṣatriya-dharma) where skill and ferocity operate within the battlefield’s moral framework, reminding the listener that combat entails real bodily cost and irreversible consequences.
Sañjaya describes a warrior unleashing extremely sharp, gold-fletched ‘bhalla’ arrows. The arrows pierce the opponent’s armour and cause bleeding—poetically said to ‘drink’ the blood—emphasizing the intensity of the fight.