Shloka 54
Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
सप्त चैव पृषत्कांश्व श्वेतस्पोपर्यपातयन् । ततः पुनरमेयात्मा भल््लै: सप्तभिराशुगै: । निचकर्त महाबाहुस्तेषां चापानि धन्विनाम्
sapta caiva pṛṣatkāṁś śvetas tv upary apātayan | tataḥ punar ameyātmā bhallaiḥ saptabhir āśugaiḥ | nicakarta mahābāhus teṣāṁ cāpāni dhanvinām, bhārata |
Sañjaya dit : Ils lancèrent sept flèches sur Śveta. Alors Śveta—à l’âme incommensurable et aux bras puissants, ô Bhārata—avec sept flèches bhalla au vol rapide, trancha de nouveau les arcs de ces archers.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined prowess in war: effective action comes from steadiness and mastery (ameyātmā, mahābāhu), not mere aggression. Even in violent conflict, the ethical ideal for a kṣatriya is controlled, purposeful force aligned with duty.
Enemy archers shoot seven arrows at Śveta. Śveta immediately responds by firing seven swift bhalla-arrows that sever their bows, neutralizing them by disabling their weapons rather than merely trading wounds.