Shloka 50
Bhagadatta’s Advance, the Saṃśaptaka Challenge, and Arjuna’s Counterstrike (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय २६)
तस्याभिद्रवतो वाहान् हस्तमुक्तेन वारिणा
tasyābhidravato vāhān hastamuktena vāriṇā
Sañjaya dit : Comme il se ruait en avant, ses chevaux furent frappés et arrêtés par de l’eau lâchée de la main—un geste qui, un instant, retient la violence sans tuer directement, montrant que même dans la guerre la retenue tactique peut infléchir le cours du malheur.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid righteous warfare, the manner of action matters: restraining harm through a non-lethal tactic can be ethically significant, reflecting measured force rather than uncontrolled violence.
Sañjaya describes a combat moment where a charging warrior’s horses are affected—checked or driven back—by water thrown or discharged by hand, interrupting the advance and altering the immediate battle movement.