Shloka 18
Droṇavadha-saṃniveśaḥ — The Convergence Toward Droṇa’s Fall
Book 7, Chapter 164
ततो5परेण भल्लेन ध्वजं चिच्छेद काउ्चनम् | बाह्लीकस्य रणे राजन् सात्यकि: प्रहसन्निव,राजन! फिर सात्यकिने हँसते हुए-से रणभूमिमें एक दूसरे भल्लके द्वारा बाह्लीकपुत्र सोमदत्तके सुवर्णमय ध्वजको काट दिया
tato 'pareṇa bhallena dhvajaṃ ciccheda kāñcanam | bāhlīkasya raṇe rājan sātyakiḥ prahasann iva ||
Sañjaya said: Then, O King, with another broad-headed arrow Sātyaki, as if smiling, cut down the golden banner of Bāhlīka in the midst of battle. The act signals not mere display of skill but a deliberate blow to the enemy’s prestige and morale—an ethical tactic within the harsh codes of war, where symbols of honor are targeted to unnerve the opposing side without directly striking the person.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even within the brutal arena of war, actions often aim at symbolic targets—standards, banners, emblems—to break confidence and status. The verse highlights how honor and morale function as real forces in conflict, and how a warrior’s composure (Sātyaki ‘as if smiling’) can itself be a strategic and ethical statement of mastery under pressure.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Sātyaki, using another broad-headed arrow, cuts down the golden banner associated with Bāhlīka during the battle—an impressive feat meant to humiliate and destabilize the opposing side.