Shloka 406
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena
हयान् सूतं रथं चैव निमेषाद् व्यधमच्छरै: । धष्टद्युम्नने समरांगणमें अश्वत्थामाके धनुषको काट डाला। राजेन्द्र! तब वेगवान् अश्वत्थामाने उस कटे हुए धनुषको फेंककर दूसरा धनुष और विषधर सर्पोके समान भयंकर बाण हाथमें लेकर उनके द्वारा पलक मारते-मारते धृष्टद्युम्नके धनुष, शक्ति, गदा, ध्वज, अश्व, सारथि एवं रथको तहस-नहस कर दिया
sañjaya uvāca | hayān sūtaṃ rathaṃ caiva nimeṣād vyadhamac charaiḥ | dhṛṣṭadyumne samārāṅgaṇe aśvatthāmā dhanur acchinat | rājendra! tataḥ vegavān aśvatthāmā tac chinnaṃ dhanuḥ tyaktvā anyad dhanuḥ gṛhītvā viṣadhara-sarpa-sadṛśān bhīṣaṇān bāṇān pāṇau kṛtvā taiḥ nimeṣa-mātreṇa dhṛṣṭadyumnasya dhanuḥ śaktiṃ gadāṃ dhvajaṃ aśvān sārathiṃ ca rathaṃ ca vidhvaṃsayāmāsa ||
Sañjaya said: In the very blink of an eye, with his arrows he struck down the horses, the charioteer, and the chariot. On the battlefield he cut down Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s bow. Then, O king, the swift Aśvatthāmā cast aside that severed bow, seized another, and taking up dreadful arrows like venomous serpents, in an instant shattered Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s weapons and emblems—his bow, spear, mace, banner—as well as his horses, charioteer, and chariot. The passage underscores the ruthless efficiency of war-skill when unrestrained by compassion, where martial prowess becomes a force that annihilates not only an opponent’s arms but the very supports of his agency.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, sheer skill and speed can become morally perilous when driven by wrath—turning prowess into total annihilation of an opponent’s weapons, symbols, and supports. It invites reflection on the thin line between valor and cruelty when dharma is eclipsed by vengeance.
Sañjaya reports to the king that Aśvatthāmā rapidly disables Dhṛṣṭadyumna by cutting his bow and then, with another bow and deadly arrows, demolishes his armaments and chariot-system—banner, weapons, horses, charioteer, and chariot—rendering him effectively neutralized on the field.