Shloka 303
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 155 — Ghaṭotkaca-nidhana-śoka and Karṇa-śakti-vyaya
Kṛṣṇa’s strategic reassurance
विव्याध दशभिस्तूर्ण ध्वजं चिच्छेद चेषुणा । तब दुर्योधनने कुपित होकर झुकी हुई गाँठवाले दस बाणोंद्वारा तुरंत ही युधिष्ठिरको घायल कर दिया और एक बाणसे उनका ध्वज भी काट डाला
sañjaya uvāca | vivyādha daśabhis tūrṇaṃ dhvajaṃ ciccheda ceṣuṇā |
サンジャヤは言った。戦のさなか、彼はたちまち十本の矢で敵を射抜き、さらに一本の矢で旗印を断ち落とした。それは肉体の損傷にとどまらず、王者の名誉と軍の士気をも打つ所業である。戦場で標旗を倒すことは、決意を揺さぶり、優勢を宣言するためなのだ。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic where victory is pursued not only by wounding the opponent but also by breaking symbols of status and courage (the dhvaja). It reflects how kshatriya warfare targets both body and morale, raising ethical tension between valor and the harshness of war.
Sanjaya reports a rapid exchange in which a warrior strikes swiftly with ten arrows and then cuts down the opponent’s banner with a single arrow, a dramatic gesture meant to disgrace and destabilize the enemy’s side.