Shloka 28
Droṇavadha-saṃniveśaḥ — The Convergence Toward Droṇa’s Fall
Book 7, Chapter 164
ततस्तु सात्यकी राजन् सोमदत्तस्य संयुगे । धनुश्विच्छेद भल्लेन हस्तावापं च पञठ्चभि:,राजन! तदनन्तर संग्रामभूमिमें सात्यकिने एक भल्लसे सोमदत्तका धनुष काट दिया और पाँच बाणोंसे उनके दस्ताने नष्ट कर दिये
tatas tu sātyakī rājan somadattasya saṁyuge | dhanuś ciccheda bhallena hastāvāpaṁ ca pañcabhiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then, O King, in the thick of battle Sātyaki struck Somadatta—severing his bow with a sharp bhalla-arrow, and with five more arrows he shattered the protective gear upon his hands. The scene underscores the ruthless precision of war, where skill is used not for display but to disable an opponent’s capacity to fight.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic of disabling an opponent’s fighting capacity through precise strikes. It reflects kṣatriya conduct where skill and decisiveness are paramount, while also reminding the listener that war reduces virtue to hard choices and tactical necessity.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Sātyaki attacks Somadatta in combat, cutting Somadatta’s bow with a bhalla-arrow and then destroying his hand-protective gear with five additional arrows, effectively weakening his ability to continue fighting.