Shloka 34
Rajo-dhūli-saṃmūḍha-saṅgrāmaḥ
The Dust-Obscured Battle and Mutual Charges
ततः क्रुद्धो महेष्वास: सप्तभल्लै: सुतेजनै: । धनूंषि तेषामाच्छिद्य ननर्द पृतनापति:
tataḥ kruddho maheṣvāsaḥ saptabhallaiḥ sutejanaiḥ | dhanūṃṣi teṣām ācchidya nanarda pṛtanāpatiḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Alors le grand archer, embrasé de colère, avec sept flèches bhalla tranchantes comme des rasoirs, sectionna les arcs de ces guerriers et poussa un rugissement retentissant en chef de l’armée.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic of disabling an opponent’s weaponry to gain advantage and assert dominance; it also shows how controlled ferocity and morale-shaping (the roar) function as legitimate tactics within kṣatriya warfare.
A great archer, angered in combat, shoots seven sharp bhalla arrows to sever the bows of the opposing warriors, then roars as the army commander—signaling superiority and attempting to intimidate and destabilize the enemy line.