Shloka 16
अध्याय ८८ — घटोत्कच-दुर्योधनयुद्धवर्णनम्
Ghaṭotkaca–Duryodhana Engagement
अथैत्य राजा युधि सत्यसंधो जयद्रथो>त्युग्रबलो मनस्वी । चिच्छेद चापानि महारथानां प्रसहा तेषां धनुषा वरेण
athaittya rājā yudhi satyasaṃdho jayadratho ’tyugrabalo manasvī | ciccheda cāpāni mahārathānāṃ prasahā teṣāṃ dhanuṣā vareṇa ||
Sañjaya dit : Alors, au cœur de la bataille, le roi Jayadratha—fidèle à sa résolution, d’une puissance redoutable et d’un esprit altier—s’avança au premier rang et, de son arc excellent, trancha de force les arcs de ces grands guerriers en chars. La scène souligne qu’en guerre, des vœux inébranlables et une maîtrise supérieure peuvent renverser soudain l’équilibre, par des gestes qui neutralisent plutôt qu’ils ne tuent.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of satyasaṃdha—steadfastness to one’s vow—and shows how disciplined resolve combined with skill can decisively affect outcomes in a dharma-governed war, often through tactics that neutralize an opponent’s capacity rather than mere slaughter.
Jayadratha advances into the fight and, using his superior bowmanship, forcibly severs the bows of several mahārathas, temporarily disarming them and gaining a tactical advantage.