Shloka 29
Adhyāya 111 (Book 6): Daśama-dina-saṃgrāma—Bhīṣma’s Counsel to Yudhiṣṭhira and the Śikhaṇḍin-Led Advance
स पाण्डवान् महेष्वास: पज्चालांश्चैव सूंजयान् । नाराचैर्वत्सदन्तैश्व शितैरञर्जलिकैस्तथा
sa pāṇḍavān maheṣvāsaḥ pāñcālāṃś caiva sṛñjayān | nārācair vatsadantaiś ca śitair añjalikais tathā ||
Sañjaya dit : «Ce puissant archer assaillit les Pāṇḍava, les Pāñcāla et les Sṛñjaya de flèches acérées : des nārāca semblables à une dent de veau, et d’autres du type añjalika, dans une pluie de traits sans relâche.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the Kṣatriya sphere where prowess and disciplined weapon-skill shape outcomes; ethically, it points to how collective destinies in war are driven not only by ideals but by concrete acts of force and capability, intensifying the burden of responsibility for those who choose battle.
Sañjaya reports that a formidable archer is striking the Pāṇḍava-aligned forces—Pāṇḍavas, Pāñcālas, and Sṛñjayas—using multiple specialized, sharp arrow-types (nārāca, vatsadanta, añjalika), indicating a fierce phase of missile combat.