Shloka 58
Adhyāya 18 — Sequential Duels and Formation Pressure
Ulūka–Yuyutsu; Śakuni–Sutasoma; Kṛpa–Dhṛṣṭadyumna; Kṛtavarmā–Śikhaṇḍin
शत्रुप्रवीरैरस्त्राणि नानाशस्त्राणि सायकै: । छित्त्वा तानवधीच्छत्रून् पाण्ड्य: शक्र इवासुरान्,जैसे इन्द्र असुरोंका संहार करते हैं, उसी प्रकार पाण्ड्यनरेश शत्रुवीरोंद्वारा चलाये गये नाना प्रकारके अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंको अपने बाणोंद्वारा नष्ट करके उन शत्रुओंका वध कर डालते थे
sañjaya uvāca |
śatrupravīrair astrāṇi nānāśastrāṇi sāyakaiḥ |
chittvā tān avadhīc chatrūn pāṇḍyaḥ śakra ivāsurān ||
Sañjaya said: Like Indra slaying the Asuras, the king of the Pāṇḍyas cut down with his arrows the many missiles and weapons hurled by the enemy champions, and then struck those foes down. The verse frames his prowess as disciplined, decisive action in battle—neutralizing incoming violence before delivering a final, righteous blow in the war’s grim duty.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in its battlefield form: first neutralize harmful force (cutting down incoming weapons), then act decisively to end the threat. The Indra–Asura comparison elevates disciplined martial action as duty-bound rather than wanton.
Sañjaya describes the Pāṇḍya king in combat: enemy champions launch many kinds of weapons, which he destroys with his arrows, and then he kills those enemies—likened to Indra’s slaying of the Asuras.