Shloka 35
वासवी-शक्तेः प्रयोगः, घटोत्कच-वधोत्तर-शोकः, व्यासोपदेशश्च
The Vāsavī Spear’s Use, Post-Ghaṭotkaca Grief, and Vyāsa’s Counsel
भीमसेनं च नवभिनर्नकुलं पञ्चभिस्तथा । सहदेवं तथाष्टाभि: शतेन च शिखण्डिनम्
bhīmasenaṃ ca navabhir nakulaṃ pañcabhis tathā | sahadevaṃ tathāṣṭābhiḥ śatena ca śikhaṇḍinam ||
Sañjaya said: He struck Bhīmasena with nine arrows, Nakula with five, Sahadeva with eight, and Śikhaṇḍin with a hundred—an emphatic display of battlefield prowess meant to overwhelm the Pāṇḍavas’ champions through sheer force and intimidation.
सयजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya-world ethic of the battlefield: skill and resolve are demonstrated through measured, targeted force. It also implicitly warns that prowess without restraint escalates violence, making discernment and responsibility crucial even amid war.
Sañjaya reports a combatant (implied from context) showering key Pāṇḍava allies with arrows in specific counts—nine at Bhīma, five at Nakula, eight at Sahadeva, and a massive hundred at Śikhaṇḍin—signaling an attempt to dominate and demoralize prominent fighters.