Shloka 40
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya-saṃvādaḥ; madhyāhna-saṅgrāma-pravṛttiḥ
Dhritarashtra–Sanjaya dialogue and the midday battle escalation
राक्षसेन्द्रस्ततस्तस्य धनुश्चिच्छेद भारत । अर्धचन्द्रेण समरे तं च विव्याध सायकै:,भारत! तब राक्षसराज अलम्बुषने रणक्षेत्रमें अर्धचन्द्राकार बाणके द्वारा सात्यकिके धनुषको काट दिया और अनेक सायकोंका प्रहार करके उन्हें भी घायल कर दिया
rākṣasendras tatas tasya dhanuś ciccheda bhārata | ardhacandreṇa samare taṃ ca vivyādha sāyakaiḥ ||
サンジャヤは言った。「そのとき羅刹の王は、戦場のただ中で半月形の鏃をもつ矢によって彼の弓を断ち切った、バーラタよ。さらに矢の雨を浴びせて彼をも射抜き、傷を負わせた。」
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic where skill and decisiveness matter: disabling an enemy’s weapon (cutting the bow) is a strategic act that shifts the balance instantly. It also reflects the harsh moral atmosphere of war—once a warrior is disarmed, vulnerability follows, showing how quickly power can turn into peril.
Sañjaya reports that the rākṣasa leader (identified in the running context as Alambuṣa) severs Sātyaki’s bow with a crescent-headed arrow and then wounds him with multiple arrows, intensifying the duel amid the larger Kurukṣetra battle.