Shloka 8
भीमसेन-धृष्टद्युम्नयोर्वाक्यं
Bhīmasena and Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s Speeches on Kṣātra-Dharma
अथैनं छिन्नथन्वानं नवभिर्निशितै: शरै: । विव्याध हृदये तूर्ण तिष्ठ तिछेति चाब्रवीत्
athainaṁ chinnathanvānaṁ navabhir niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ | vivyādha hṛdaye tūrṇaṁ tiṣṭha tiṣṭheti cābravīt ||
Sañjaya said: Then, seeing him with his bow cut, he swiftly pierced him in the region of the heart with nine razor-sharp arrows and cried out, “Stand! Stand!”—a fierce challenge meant to halt the foe and assert dominance amid the chaos of battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh logic of battlefield duty (kṣatriya-dharma): once combat is joined, a warrior seeks to stop the opponent decisively. The shouted command “Stand!” functions as a public challenge—asserting resolve and attempting to arrest the enemy’s movement—while also underscoring how quickly violence escalates when weapons are broken and advantage is seized.
In Sañjaya’s report, a warrior confronts an opponent whose bow has been cut. Exploiting that moment of vulnerability, he rapidly shoots nine sharp arrows aimed at the heart-region and calls out “Stand! Stand!”—a taunt and command intended to force the enemy to face him rather than flee or reposition.