Shloka 72
Droṇa–Arjuna Yuddha; Trigarta-Āvaraṇa; Bhīmasena Gajānīka-bheda
Droṇa and Arjuna Engage; Trigarta Containment; Bhīma Breaks the Elephant Corps
अभिमन्यु त्रिभिश्वैव केकयान् पञ्चभिस्तथा । पूर्णायतविसृष्टेन शरेणानतपर्वणा,फिर तीन बाणोंसे अभिमन्युको और पाँचसे केकयराजकुमारोंको घायल किया। तत्पश्चात् धनुषको अच्छी तरह खींचकर छोड़े हुए झुकी हुई गाँठवाले बाणके द्वारा उन्होंने युद्धमें क्षत्रदेवकी दाहिनी बाँह काट डाली। उसके कटनेके साथ ही सहसा उनका बाणसहित उत्तम धनुष पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़ा
sañjaya uvāca | abhimanyuṃ tribhiḥ śaraireva kekayān pañcabhiḥ tathā | pūrṇāyatavisṛṣṭena śareṇānataparvaṇā ||
Sañjaya said: With three arrows he struck Abhimanyu, and with five he struck the Kekaya princes as well. Then, drawing his bow to the full and releasing a shaft with bent joints, he cut off Kṣatradeva’s right arm in the fight; as it fell, his excellent bow—still with an arrow—dropped at once to the ground. The scene underscores the ruthless efficiency of battlefield skill, where prowess can instantly disable a warrior, raising the ethical tension between martial duty and the grim cost of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the severe reality of kṣatriya warfare: mastery in arms can decide life and death in an instant. It invites reflection on dharma in battle—how duty and skill operate within a morally costly arena where victory often comes through disabling violence.
Sañjaya reports a combat episode: Abhimanyu is hit by three arrows, the Kekaya princes by five, and then Kṣatradeva’s right arm is severed by a fully drawn, forcefully released arrow, causing his bow to fall to the ground.