Shloka 71
Adhyāya 141 — Night duels: Śaineya and Bhūriśravas; Droṇi and Ghaṭotkaca; Bhīma and Duryodhana
स धनु: सूतपुत्रस्य सज्यं छित्ता महानसि:
sa dhanuḥ sūtaputrasya sajyaṃ chittvā mahān asi
Sañjaya dit : «En tranchant l’arc du fils du cocher alors qu’il était déjà bandé et prêt à servir, tu as montré que tu es véritablement grand.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ideal of martial excellence and decisive action in battle: disabling an opponent by severing a weapon at the moment it is ready underscores mastery, courage, and the harsh ethical reality of war where skill can determine destiny.
Sañjaya describes a battlefield feat in which the bow belonging to the ‘charioteer’s son’ (Karna) is cut while strung, and he praises the doer as ‘great’ for accomplishing such a difficult act amid combat.