Shloka 39
भीष्मरक्षण-उद्योगः, शिखण्डि-विवर्जनं, सर्वतोभद्र-व्यूहः
Protection of Bhīṣma, Exemption of Śikhaṇḍin, and the Sarvatobhadra Array
सिंधुराज्ञो<र्धचन्द्रेण वाराहं स्वर्णभूषितम् । उनन््ममाथ महाराज द्वितीयेनाच्छिनद् धनु:,महाराज! उसने एक अर्धचन्द्राकार बाणसे सिन्धुराज जयद्रथकी वाराहचिह्नसे युक्त सुवर्णभूषित ध्वजा काट डाली और दूसरे बाणसे उसके धनुषके दो टुकड़े कर दिये
sañjaya uvāca | sindhurājño 'rdhacandreṇa vārāhaṃ svarṇabhūṣitam | unmanmatha mahārāja dvitīyenācchinad dhanuḥ ||
Sañjaya said: O King, with a crescent-headed arrow he cut down the Sindhu king Jayadratha’s boar-emblemed, gold-adorned banner; and with a second arrow he severed his bow. The scene underscores the ruthless precision of battlefield skill, where symbols of pride and command (the banner) are struck down first, followed by the weapon itself—disabling the warrior and shaking his morale amid the larger contest of duty and allegiance.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, actions carry ethical weight: striking the banner and then the bow shows strategic restraint aimed at disabling and demoralizing rather than indiscriminate slaughter, reflecting the battlefield logic within kṣatriya-dharma.
Sañjaya reports that a warrior (implied from context) uses a crescent-headed arrow to cut down Jayadratha’s boar-emblemed, gold-decorated standard, and then with a second arrow cuts Jayadratha’s bow, effectively neutralizing him.