Shloka 15
Arjuna’s Advance toward Bhīṣma; The Gāṇḍīva’s Signal and the Armies’ Convergence (भीष्माभिमुखगमनम् — गाण्डीवनिर्घोष-ध्वजवर्णनम्)
विव्याध दशभिस्ती क्षण: शरै: कनकभूषणै: । नन्दकं च त्रिभिबणिरभ्यविध्यत् स्तनान्तरे,राजन्! ऐसा कहकर कुन्तीकुमार भीमने स्वर्णभूषित दस तीखे बाणोंद्वारा आपके पुत्र दुर्योधनको बींध डाला और नन््दककी छातीमें भी तीन बाणोंसे गहरी चोट पहुँचायी
sañjaya uvāca | vivyādha daśabhis tīkṣṇaiḥ śaraiḥ kanakabhūṣaṇaiḥ | nandakaṃ ca tribhir bāṇair abhyavidhyat stanāntare rājān |
Sañjaya said: Having spoken thus, Kuntī’s son Bhīma pierced your son Duryodhana with ten sharp arrows adorned with gold; and he also struck Nandaka with three arrows, wounding him deep in the chest, O King. The scene underscores the relentless momentum of battle, where valor and loyalty to one’s side drive decisive, often brutal action within the larger contest over kingship and dharma.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reality of kṣatriya warfare: once battle is joined, duty to one’s side and the pursuit of victory compel swift, forceful action. Ethically, it reflects how dharma in war is framed as disciplined valor, even while the human cost remains stark.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīma shoots Duryodhana with ten sharp, gold-adorned arrows and then strikes a warrior named Nandaka with three arrows in the chest, indicating a serious wound amid the ongoing combat.