Shloka 25
अथीैषां छिन्नधनुषां शरै: संनतपर्वभि: । चिच्छेद समरे राजन शिरांसि भरतर्षभ,भरतश्रेष्ठ) इनके धनुष कट जानेपर झुकी हुई गाँठवाले बाणोंसे भूरिश्रवाने उनके मस्तक भी समर-भूमिमें काट गिराये
athaiṣāṁ chinnadhanuṣāṁ śaraiḥ saṁnataparvabhiḥ | ciccheda samare rājan śirāṁsi bharatarṣabha ||
Sanjaya said: Then, O king—when their bows had been cut—Bhūriśravas, using arrows whose joints were bent, severed their heads on the battlefield, O bull among the Bharatas. The verse underscores the grim momentum of war: once a warrior is disarmed, the struggle turns swiftly into lethal advantage, raising the ethical tension between martial prowess and restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reality of kṣatriya warfare: tactical superiority (disarming the opponent) can immediately become fatal dominance. It implicitly raises a dharmic question about restraint and proportionality once an enemy is rendered helpless, a recurring ethical tension in the Mahābhārata’s war narrative.
Sanjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that after certain warriors had their bows cut, Bhūriśravas used specialized arrows (described as having bent joints) to sever their heads in the midst of battle.