Shloka 20
Droṇavadha-saṃniveśaḥ — The Convergence Toward Droṇa’s Fall
Book 7, Chapter 164
सात्वतो5पि रणे क्रुद्ध: सोमदत्तस्य धन्विन: । धनुश्विच्छेद भल््लेन क्षुरप्रेण शितेन ह
sātvato 'pi raṇe kruddhaḥ somadattasya dhanvinaḥ | dhanuś ciccheda bhallena kṣurapreṇa śitena ha ||
Sañjaya berkata: Sang pahlawan Sātvata, menyala oleh amarah di medan laga, menebas busur Somadatta sang pemanah dengan anak panah tajam bermata silet (kṣurapra).
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that in war, prowess can be expressed through controlled, tactical action—disarming an opponent by cutting his bow—rather than immediately seeking lethal blows, reflecting a nuanced sense of dharma under battlefield pressure.
Sañjaya narrates that the Sātvata warrior, angered in combat, uses a sharp razor-edged broad-headed arrow to sever Somadatta’s bow, thereby neutralizing the archer’s immediate threat.