Shloka 3
Adhyāya 18 — Sequential Duels and Formation Pressure
Ulūka–Yuyutsu; Śakuni–Sutasoma; Kṛpa–Dhṛṣṭadyumna; Kṛtavarmā–Śikhaṇḍin
धुर्यान् धुर्यगतान् सूतान् ध्वजांश्वापासिसायकान् | पाणीन् पाणिगतं शस्त्र बाहूुनपि शिरांसि च
sañjaya uvāca | dhuryān dhuryagatān sūtān dhvajāṁśvāpāsisāyakān | pāṇīn pāṇigataṁ śastraṁ bāhūn api śirāṁsi ca |
Sañjaya dit : Arjuna, fils de Pāṇḍu, avec des flèches telles que la bhalla, la kṣura, l’ardhacandra et la vatsadanta, abattit même ceux qui osaient lui faire face sur le champ—tranchant les puissants chevaux attelés aux chars, les cochers, les étendards et les armes : arcs, traits et épées ; et il sectionna mains, armes tenues en main, bras, et même têtes.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim reality of righteous warfare (kṣatriya-dharma): even when undertaken as duty, battle entails severe, irreversible harm. It invites reflection on responsibility, restraint, and the moral weight carried by warriors and leaders who choose war.
Sañjaya reports Arjuna’s devastating effectiveness in combat: using specialized arrows, he disables enemy chariots by cutting down yoked horses, charioteers, standards, and weapons, and he even severs limbs and heads of opposing fighters who confront him.