Shloka 8
Śalya-parva Adhyāya 26 — Duryodhana’s remnant formation and rapid engagements
मुमोच निशितान् बाणान् पुत्राणां तव मर्मसु । महाराज! तब भीम पुनः अपने रथपर आरूढ़ हो आपके पुत्रोंके मर्मस्थानोंमें तीखे बाणोंका प्रहार करने लगे ।। ते कीर्यमाणा भीमेन पुत्रास्तव महारणे
sañjaya uvāca |
mumoca niśitān bāṇān putrāṇāṁ tava marmasu |
mahārāja! tataḥ bhīmaḥ punaḥ svārathopari ārūḍho ’bhavat, tava putrāṇāṁ marmasthāneṣu tīvrabāṇaprahāraṁ cakāra ||
te kīryamāṇā bhīmena putrās tava mahāraṇe ||
Sañjaya dit : «Il décocha des flèches acérées vers les points vitaux de tes fils. Ô grand roi, alors Bhīma, remontant sur son char, frappa sans relâche tes fils en leurs endroits vulnérables de traits perçants. Ainsi, dans cette grande bataille, tes fils étaient taillés en pièces et dispersés par Bhīma.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim ethics of war: once dharma-yuddha turns into a struggle for survival, warriors target vulnerabilities to end threats swiftly. It also highlights the inevitability of consequences—Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s attachment to his sons is confronted by the irreversible momentum of battle.
Sanjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhima, remounting his chariot, shoots sharp arrows at the vital points of the Kaurava princes. As a result, Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons are being struck down and scattered amid the great battle.