Shloka 226
भीमसेनस्य वेगाभिपातः—विशोकसारथिसंवादश्च
Bhīma’s surge and dialogue with charioteer Viśoka
अर्धचन्द्रेण तीक्ष्णेन धनुश्छित्त्वानदद् भृशम् । इसके बाद कुपित हुए सात्यकिने रणभूमिमें प्रहार करनेवाले अश्वत्थामाके धनुषको तीखे अर्धचन्द्रसे काटकर बड़े जोरसे गर्जना की
sañjaya uvāca | ardhacandreṇa tīkṣṇena dhanuś chittvā nanāda bhṛśam |
Sañjaya said: With a keen, crescent-shaped arrow, he cut Ashvatthāmā’s bow and then roared loudly. In the heat of battle, this act signals both tactical mastery and the fierce resolve of a warrior who answers aggression with decisive force.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
In the battlefield ethic of the Mahābhārata, skill and decisiveness are integral to kṣatriya-dharma: a warrior must respond to threat with controlled prowess. The verse highlights how mastery over weapons can neutralize an opponent without immediately resorting to killing, while the roar underscores the psychological dimension of combat.
Sātyaki, enraged in the midst of the Kurukṣetra fighting, strikes Aśvatthāmā’s bow with a sharp crescent-headed arrow, cutting it. After disarming him, he lets out a powerful roar, asserting dominance and rallying force on the battlefield, as reported by Sañjaya.