Shloka 40
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya-saṃvādaḥ; madhyāhna-saṅgrāma-pravṛttiḥ
Dhritarashtra–Sanjaya dialogue and the midday battle escalation
राक्षसेन्द्रस्ततस्तस्य धनुश्चिच्छेद भारत । अर्धचन्द्रेण समरे तं च विव्याध सायकै:
rākṣasendras tatas tasya dhanuś ciccheda bhārata | ardhacandreṇa samare taṃ ca vivyādha sāyakaiḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Alors le seigneur des Rākṣasas trancha son arc, ô Bhārata, d’une flèche à pointe en demi-lune au cœur de la mêlée ; puis, sous une pluie de traits, il le frappa encore et le blessa.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic where skill and decisiveness matter: disabling an enemy’s weapon (cutting the bow) is a strategic act that shifts the balance instantly. It also reflects the harsh moral atmosphere of war—once a warrior is disarmed, vulnerability follows, showing how quickly power can turn into peril.
Sañjaya reports that the rākṣasa leader (identified in the running context as Alambuṣa) severs Sātyaki’s bow with a crescent-headed arrow and then wounds him with multiple arrows, intensifying the duel amid the larger Kurukṣetra battle.