Shloka 103
Śalya-parva Adhyāya 26 — Duryodhana’s remnant formation and rapid engagements
श्रुतान्तमवधीद् भीमस्तव पुत्र महारथ: । तत्पश्चात् समस्त आवरणोंका भेदन करनेवाले दूसरे भल्लके द्वारा महारथी भीमसेनने आपके पुत्र श्रुतान्तका अन्त कर दिया
śrutāntam avadhīd bhīmas tava putro mahārathaḥ | tatpaścāt samasta-āvaraṇānāṃ bhedana-karena dvitīyena bhallakena mahārathī bhīmasenas tava putrasya śrutāntasya antaṃ cakāra |
Sañjaya said: Bhīma, that great chariot-warrior, slew your son Śrutānta. Thereafter, with a second bhallaka arrow—one capable of piercing through all protective coverings—Mahārathī Bhīmasena brought Śrutānta’s life to its end. The episode underscores the grim finality of battlefield skill: martial prowess, when yoked to the fury of war, cuts through defenses and kinship alike, leaving only the irreversible consequence of violence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh ethical reality of war: extraordinary martial skill can pierce every defense, yet it also demonstrates how violence in a dharma-war still produces irreversible loss—where kinship and protection fail before the momentum of conflict.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīma, a foremost warrior, kills Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son Śrutānta, specifically noting the use of a second broad-headed arrow that breaks through all protective coverings.