Mahabharata — Bhishma Parva, Shloka 39
भीष्मस्य जलप्रार्थना — अर्जुनस्य पर्जन्यास्त्रप्रयोगः — दुर्योधनं प्रति सन्ध्युपदेशः
Bhīṣma’s request for water; Arjuna’s Parjanya-astra; counsel to Duryodhana on reconciliation
तोमरं सैन्धवो राजा पट्टिशं च महाभुज: । शतघ्नीं च कृपो राजज्छरं शल्यश्व संयुगे
tomaraṃ saindhavo rājā paṭṭiśaṃ ca mahābhujaḥ | śataghnīṃ ca kṛpo rājaccharaṃ śalyaśva saṃyuge ||
Sañjaya dit : Le roi Jayadratha du Sindhu, aux bras puissants, lança un javelot (tomara) et une hache de guerre (paṭṭiśa). Kṛpa fit usage de l’arme śataghnī, et le roi Śalya, au plus fort du combat, décocha une flèche.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, warriors intensify their use of weapons out of allegiance and perceived duty (kṣatriya-dharma). Ethically, it points to the grim momentum of conflict: skill and obligation can propel violence forward, reminding readers to weigh the human and moral consequences that accompany martial prowess.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Jayadratha throws a tomara and a paṭṭiśa, Kṛpa uses a śataghnī weapon, and Śalya shoots an arrow—depicting a surge of attacks and varied weaponry on the battlefield.