Shloka 40
वेगवान् समरे घोरे शरांश्वाशीविषोपमान् । स पार्षतस्य राजेन्द्र धनुः शक्ति गदां ध्वजम्
vegavān samare ghore śarān āśīviṣopamān | sa pārṣatasya rājendra dhanuḥ śakti gadāṃ dhvajam ||
Sañjaya said: In that dreadful battle, he swiftly discharged arrows like venomous serpents. O king, he struck down the son of Pṛṣata’s bow, spear, mace, and banner—an image of how war’s fury aims not only at the warrior’s body but at the very instruments of his agency and honor.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, prowess often targets not only life but also the symbols and tools of a warrior’s capacity and honor (weapons and banner). Ethically, it underscores the grim momentum of battle where skill becomes destructive efficiency, inviting reflection on the costs borne by dharma when conflict intensifies.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, amid a fierce engagement, the warrior (contextually, a leading combatant in Karṇa Parva) shoots swift, serpent-like arrows and disables Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s equipment—his bow, spear, mace, and banner—thereby weakening his fighting position and public standing on the battlefield.