Shloka 50
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 25 — Bhīma’s Disruption of Elephant Formations and Bhagadatta’s Shock Advance
ततोअसम्बष्ठोडस्थिभेदिन्या निरभिद्यच्छलाकया । स त्यक्त्वा सशरं चापं रथाद् भूमिमुपागमत्,तब अम्बष्ठने हड्डियोंको छेद देनेवाली शलाकाद्वारा चेदिराजको विदीर्ण कर दिया। वे बाणसहित धनुषको त्यागकर रथसे पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़े
tato ’sambaṣṭho ’sthibhedinyā nirabhidyacchalākayā | sa tyaktvā saśaraṃ cāpaṃ rathād bhūmim upāgamat ||
Sañjaya said: Then, with a bone-splitting iron dart (śalākā), he pierced the king of Cedi. Struck down, the Cedi ruler let go of his bow along with the arrow and fell from his chariot to the earth. The scene underscores the grim ethic of battlefield duty: prowess and resolve decide outcomes, yet even a mighty king is rendered helpless in an instant by the instruments of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reality of kṣatriya warfare: skill and weaponry can abruptly overturn status and strength, reminding the listener of human fragility and the grave moral weight carried by those who choose the battlefield path.
In Sañjaya’s report, a bone-splitting iron dart (śalākā) pierces the Cedi king; wounded, he drops his bow and arrow and falls from his chariot onto the ground.