Shloka 12
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 3 — Sātyaki on Inner Disposition, Legitimacy, and Coercive Readiness
अहं तु ताञ्छितैर्बाणैरनुनीय रणे बलात्
ahaṃ tu tāñ chitaibāṇair anūnīya raṇe balāt
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: «Pero yo, en medio del combate, por la fuerza los sometí con flechas de aguda punta». La línea expresa la áspera ética del conflicto kṣatriya: la persuasión cede ante la coerción cuando el campo de batalla exige una contención decisiva del adversario.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic tension: when peaceful means fail or are impossible in war, a warrior may be compelled to restrain opponents through force, yet the stated aim is control/subduing rather than gratuitous cruelty.
The speaker (as reported by Vaiśampāyana) describes an episode of combat in which he overpowers certain opponents, specifically by using sharp arrows to bring them under control on the battlefield.