Shloka 16
भीष्म-युधिष्ठिर-संमर्दः
Bhīṣma’s Pressure on Yudhiṣṭhira; Śikhaṇḍī’s Approach; Evening Withdrawal
अथैनं दशभिरन्बाणिस्तोत्रैरिव महाद्विपम् । आजपघान रणे वीरं स्मयन्निव महारथ:
athainaṁ daśabhir anubāṇais totrair iva mahādvipam | ājaghāna raṇe vīraṁ smayann iva mahārathaḥ ||
サンジャヤは言った。ついでその大車戦士は、戦場にてその勇士を追い矢十本で射抜いた。まるで象使いが鉤（アンクシャ）で大象を駆り立てるように、ほほえむかのごとき面持ちで。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, skill and dominance can be expressed with unsettling ease—“as if smiling.” It invites reflection on the ethical tension in kṣatriya-duty: even when battle is framed as duty, the manner of violence (confidence, relish, restraint, or cruelty) carries moral weight.
Sañjaya describes a great chariot-warrior striking a heroic opponent with ten successive arrows in the midst of battle, likening the repeated blows to an elephant being prodded by a goad—emphasizing forceful control and the intensity of the exchange.