Shloka 21
द्रोणेन केकय-चेदि-वीरवधः
Droṇa’s engagements with the Kekayas and Cedis
तयोस्तु धनुषी चित्रे भल्लाभ्यां श्वेतवाहन: । चिच्छेद समरे तूर्ण ध्वजी च कनकोज्ज्वलौ,तदनन्तर श्वेत घोड़ोंवाले अर्जुनने समराड्णमें दो बाणोंद्वारा उनके दोनों विचित्र धनुषों और सुवर्णके समान प्रकाशित होनेवाले दोनों ध्वजोंको भी तुरंत ही काट डाला
tayos tu dhanuṣī citre bhallābhyāṁ śvetavāhanaḥ | ciccheda samare tūrṇaṁ dhvajī ca kanakojjvalau ||
Sañjaya said: Then Śvetavāhana (Arjuna), swift in the press of battle, with two sharp bhalla-arrows, severed both of their ornate bows; and he also cut down their two standards, shining like gold. The scene underscores the warrior’s disciplined precision—disarming opponents and breaking their martial pride-symbols amid the harsh demands of righteous war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even within warfare, dharma emphasizes disciplined action: skill used with control to neutralize an opponent’s capacity to harm. Cutting bows and standards highlights strategic restraint and the ethical ideal of ending threat efficiently rather than indulging in needless cruelty.
Sañjaya narrates that Arjuna, identified by his white horses, rapidly shoots two bhalla arrows and severs the two opponents’ ornate bows; he also fells their two gold-bright standards, symbolically breaking their fighting power and battlefield prestige.