Shloka 35
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya-saṃvādaḥ; madhyāhna-saṅgrāma-pravṛttiḥ
Dhritarashtra–Sanjaya dialogue and the midday battle escalation
शितैस्तु बहुशो राजंस्तं च विव्याध पत्त्रिभि: । शिखण्डी तु तत: खड्गं खण्डितं तेन सायकै:,राजन! तत्पश्चात् पंखयुक्त तीखे बाणोंद्वारा शिखण्डीको भी बहुत घायल कर दिया। अश्व॒त्थामाद्वारा सायकोंकी मारसे खण्डित किये हुए उस खड्गको शिखण्डीने घुमाकर तुरंत ही उसके ऊपर चला दिया। वह खड्ग प्रज्वलित सर्प-सा प्रकाशित हो उठा। अपने ऊपर आते हुए प्रलयकालकी अग्निके समान तेजस्वी उस खड्गको अभ्वत्थामाने युद्धमें अपना हस्त-लाघव दिखाते हुए सहसा काट डाला। तत्पश्चात् बहुत-से लोहमय बाणोंद्वारा उसने शिखण्डीको भी घायल कर दिया
śitais tu bahuśo rājan taṃ ca vivyādha pattribhiḥ | śikhaṇḍī tu tataḥ khaḍgaṃ khaṇḍitaṃ tena sāyakaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “O King, with many sharp, winged arrows he repeatedly pierced him. Then Śikhaṇḍī, taking up his sword that had been damaged by those missiles, rushed forward to strike. The scene underscores the relentless escalation of violence in battle: even when weapons are broken and bodies wounded, warriors press on, driven by duty, vengeance, and the momentum of war.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war drives continuous retaliation: even when weapons are shattered and wounds accumulate, combatants persist. Ethically, it invites reflection on the tragic momentum of violence—how duty and hostility can override restraint once battle is joined.
Sañjaya reports that an unnamed warrior (clear from the surrounding passage) repeatedly wounds his opponent with sharp, feathered arrows. Śikhaṇḍī then takes up a sword that has been damaged by those arrows and moves to attack, showing a shift from missile combat to close-quarters assault.