Shloka 186
एकमेकं समुद्दिश्य पातयामास मर्मसु । उनको सामने देखकर भीमसेन कुपित हो उठे। उन्होंने प्रत्येकके लिये एक-एक करके भारसाधनमें समर्थ दस बाण हाथमें लिये और उन्हें उनके मर्मस्थानोंपर चलाया
sañjaya uvāca | ekamekaṃ samuddiśya pātayāmāsa marmasu |
Sanjaya said: Fixing his aim on each opponent one by one, he struck them down by shooting at their vital points. Seeing them before him, Bhīmasena flared up in wrath; taking ten powerful arrows—each capable of bearing heavy force—he discharged them, one for each, into their vulnerable spots. The scene underscores the grim ethics of war: anger sharpens resolve, yet the choice to target vital points reveals how quickly combat turns from contest to annihilation.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how anger in battle can intensify violence and push warriors toward lethal choices—such as aiming at vital points—raising ethical tension between kṣatriya duty (to fight) and the moral cost of ruthless methods.
Sanjaya narrates a combat moment where Bhīmasena, enraged at seeing his foes, targets them individually and strikes at their vital points, using ten strong arrows—one assigned to each target.