Shloka 12
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 25 — Bhīma’s Disruption of Elephant Formations and Bhagadatta’s Shock Advance
अथान्यद् धनुरादाय सैन्धव: कृतहस्तवत् । विव्याध क्षत्रवर्माणं रणे सर्वायसै: शरै:,तब सिंधुराजने दूसरा धनुष लेकर सिद्धहस्त पुरुषकी भाँति सम्पूर्णतः लोहेके बने हुए बाणोंद्वारा रणक्षेत्रमें क्षत्रवर्माको घायल कर दिया
athānyad dhanur ādāya saindhavaḥ kṛtahastavat | vivyādha kṣatravarmāṇaṃ raṇe sarvāyasaiḥ śaraiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then the king of Sindhu, taking up another bow and handling it like a master archer, struck Kṣatravarmā on the battlefield with arrows made wholly of iron. The scene underscores the relentless escalation of martial skill and weaponry in war, where prowess is displayed through increasingly lethal means, often eclipsing considerations of restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in the momentum of war, warriors intensify their means—switching weapons and using more deadly missiles—showcasing skill and determination. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension: kṣatriya duty to fight versus the tragic cost and hardening of conduct that prolonged conflict can produce.
Sañjaya reports that Jayadratha (Saindhava) takes up a different bow and, with expert ease, shoots Kṣatravarmā in the battle using arrows described as entirely iron, thereby wounding him.