Shloka 231
त्रिपुरदाह-इतिहासः
Tripura-destruction exemplum and counsel to Śalya
निवार्य समरे चापि शरांस्तान् निशितै: शरै: । आजचघान सुसंक्रुद्ध: सुतसोम॑ त्रिभि: शरै:
nivārya samare cāpi śarāṁs tān niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ | ājaghāna susaṁkruddhaḥ sutasomaṁ tribhiḥ śaraiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: In the thick of battle, having checked those arrows with his own keen shafts, the warrior—now fiercely enraged—struck Sutasoma with three arrows. The verse highlights the disciplined exchange of missile and counter-missile, where controlled skill in war quickly turns into intensified wrath and decisive retaliation.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even within righteous warfare, action should be governed by skill and restraint; yet the verse also shows how anger (krodha) can rapidly intensify conflict, pushing combatants from defense to forceful retaliation.
During the battle, a warrior first neutralizes incoming arrows with sharp counter-arrows, then—angered—shoots Sutasoma with three arrows, marking a swift shift from defense to an aggressive counterstrike.