Shloka 46
भीमसेन-धृष्टद्युम्नयोर्वाक्यं
Bhīmasena and Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s Speeches on Kṣātra-Dharma
तस्य भीमो धनुश्छित्त्वा ध्वजं च दशभि: शरै: । विव्याध कौरवश्रेष्ठ नवत्या नतपर्वणाम्,तब भीमसेनने दस बाण मारकर उसके धनुष और ध्वज काट डाले और झुकी हुई गाँठवाले नब्बे बाणोंसे कौरवश्रेष्ठ दुर्योधनको गहरी चोट पहुँचायी
tasya bhīmo dhanuś chittvā dhvajaṃ ca daśabhiḥ śaraiḥ | vivyādha kauravaśreṣṭhaṃ navatyā nataparvaṇām ||
Sañjaya said: Bhīma cut down his bow and, with ten arrows, also struck down his banner. Then, with ninety arrows having bent joints, he pierced the foremost of the Kurus—Duryodhana—inflicting a deep wound. The scene underscores the relentless escalation of violence in battle, where prowess and resolve eclipse restraint, even as the ethical cost of such destruction looms over the combatants.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim momentum of war: martial excellence can decisively disable an opponent (cutting bow and banner), yet it also illustrates how conflict intensifies toward grievous harm. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical horizon, such prowess is part of kṣatriya-duty, but it simultaneously points to the heavy moral and human cost that war exacts.
Bhīma disables Duryodhana’s capacity and prestige in battle by severing his bow and striking down his chariot-banner with ten arrows, then follows with a concentrated volley of ninety arrows to wound him severely.