Shloka 45
Adhyāya 104 — Śikhaṇḍin-puraskāraḥ (Śikhaṇḍin as Vanguard) and Bhīṣma’s Counter-Advance
तस्य द्रोणसुतश्चापं द्विधा चिच्छेद भारत । अथैनं छिन्नधन्वानं ताडयामास सायकै:,भारत! उस द्रोणपुत्रने सात्यकिके धनुषके दो टुकड़े कर दिये और धनुष कट जानेपर उन्हें सायकोंसे घायल करना आरम्भ किया
tasya droṇasutaś cāpaṃ dvidhā ciccheda bhārata | athainaṃ chinnadhanvānaṃ tāḍayāmāsa sāyakaiḥ ||
サञ्जयは言った。「おお、バーラタよ。ドローナの子はサーティヤキの弓を二つに断ち切った。ついで武器を失ったのを見て、休む間もなく矢で打ち据え始めた——戦の容赦ない勢いを示す一幕であり、優位は一瞬も止めずに押し広げられ、戦士のダルマは突如の無防備の中で試されるのである。」
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how swiftly fortune turns in war and how a warrior’s dharma is tested when suddenly disadvantaged; it invites reflection on whether pressing an opponent’s vulnerability is merely tactical necessity or a moral strain within kṣatriya conduct.
Sañjaya reports that Aśvatthāmā, son of Droṇa, slices the opponent’s bow into two; once the foe is disarmed, he immediately continues the assault by striking him with arrows.