Shloka 43
भीष्मस्य अप्रतिमपराक्रमः — शिखण्डिपुरस्कृतः प्रहारः
Bhīṣma’s unmatched momentum and the assault with Śikhaṇḍin in the lead
पार्थ च निशितैर्बाणैरविध्यत् तनयस्तव । ततः क्रुद्धों रणे पार्थ: शरान् संधाय कार्मुके
pārtha ca niśitair bāṇair avidhyat tanayas tava | tataḥ kruddho raṇe pārthaḥ śarān sandhāya kārmuke ||
Sanjaya said: Your son struck Partha with sharp arrows. Then Partha, angered in the midst of battle, set his arrows upon his bow, preparing to retaliate—an escalation driven by the warrior’s code where injury demands a measured but forceful response.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in wartime: when attacked, a warrior is expected to respond decisively. It also shows how anger can intensify conflict, making self-mastery ethically significant even amid justified retaliation.
Duryodhana (Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son) wounds Arjuna with sharp arrows. Arjuna becomes enraged and readies his own arrows on the bow, signaling an imminent counterattack.