Shloka 18
Saubhadra under Concentrated Assault; Pārṣata’s Intervention and Escalation
सच्छिन्नथन्वा समरे गदां गुर्वी महायशा: । द्रोणाय प्रेषयामास गिरिसारमयीं बली,धनुष कट जानेपर महायशस्वी बलवान वीर धृष्टद्युम्नने समरभूमिमें द्रोणाचार्यपर लोहेकी बनी हुई एक भारी गदा चलायी
sa cchinnadhanvā samare gadāṃ gurvīṃ mahāyaśāḥ | droṇāya preṣayāmāsa girisāramayīṃ balī ||
សញ្ជ័យបាននិយាយ៖ ពេលធ្នូត្រូវកាត់ដាច់ក្នុងសមរភូមិ អ្នកក្លាហានដ៏មានកេរ្តិ៍ឈ្មោះ និងមានកម្លាំងគឺ ធ្រឹෂ្ដទ្យុម្នៈ បានគប់គុណដ៏ធ្ងន់មួយ ទៅលើទ្រូណាចារ្យ—រឹងដូចរ៉ែភ្នំ។
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in its stark battlefield form: even after losing a principal weapon, a warrior is expected to persist in combat using available means. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s tension between duty-bound valor and the tragic momentum of violence once war is joined.
Sañjaya describes a moment in the fighting where a renowned, powerful warrior—his bow having been cut—throws a very heavy, ore-hard mace at Droṇācārya, showing the intensity of the duel and the shift from archery to close-combat weaponry.