Shloka 21
भूरिश्रवसः गर्हा, प्रायोपवेशः, सात्यकिकृतशिरच्छेदः
Bhūriśravas’s Censure, Prāyopaveśa, and Sātyaki’s Beheading
प्रहसंश्षास्य चिच्छेद कार्मुकं रिपुभीषणम् । नागं मणिमयं चैव शरैर्ध्वजमपातयत्,इसके बाद युयुधानने हँसते हुए ही दुर्योधनके शत्रु भीषण धनुषको और मणिमय नागसे चिह्नित ध्वजको भी बाणोंद्वारा काट गिराया
prahasaṁś cāsyāśu ciccheda kārmukaṁ ripubhīṣaṇam | nāgaṁ maṇimayaṁ caiva śaraiḥ dhvajam apātayat ||
Sañjaya said: Laughing, he swiftly cut down that enemy-terrifying bow, and with his arrows he also felled the banner marked with a jeweled serpent—an act meant to break the foe’s pride and signal mastery amid the chaos of battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a warrior’s strategic aim in battle: not only to wound but to shatter the opponent’s symbols of power (bow and banner), thereby undermining morale and pride. It reflects kṣatriya-dharma where prowess is displayed through decisive, targeted action.
Sañjaya reports that Yuyudhāna (Sātyaki), with confident laughter, severs Duryodhana’s fearsome bow and then shoots down his banner bearing a jeweled serpent emblem, marking a moment of dominance in the ongoing combat.