Shloka 42
द्वाभ्यां च सुविसृष्ट भ्यां क्षुराभ्यां ध्वजकार्मुके । छित्त्वा पाड्चालराजस्य द्रौणिरन्यै: समार्दयत्,इसके सिवा, अच्छी तरह छोड़े हुए दो छुरोंसे पांचाल-राजकुमारके ध्वज और धनुषको काटकर अअभ्रृत्थामाने दूसरे बाणोंद्वारा उन्हें भलीभाँति पीड़ित किया
dvābhyāṃ ca su-viṣṛṣṭābhyāṃ kṣurābhyāṃ dhvaja-kārmuke | chittvā pāñcālarājasya drauṇir anyaiḥ samārdayat ||
Sañjaya said: With two razor-edged arrows, well released, Droṇa’s son (Aśvatthāmā) cut down the banner and the bow of the Pāñcāla prince; then, with other shafts, he pressed him hard, tormenting him in the fury of battle. The scene underscores how, in war, disabling an opponent’s insignia and weapon becomes a decisive tactic—yet it also reflects the relentless escalation of violence that tests the bounds of kṣatriya-dharma.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic where disabling an opponent’s weapon and standard is a strategic act within kṣatriya warfare, while also hinting at the moral strain of relentless aggression—victory pursued through ever-intensifying violence.
Sañjaya narrates that Aśvatthāmā shoots two sharp, well-aimed arrows to sever the Pāñcāla warrior’s banner and bow, then continues to assail him with further arrows, keeping him under severe pressure in combat.