Shloka 256
भीष्मधनंजयद्वैरथम्
Bhīṣma–Dhanaṃjaya Duel and the Opening Clash
विकर्णो दशभिर्भल्लै राजन् विव्याध पाण्डवम् | नरेश्वर! तदनन्तर सम्पूर्ण विश्वमें विख्यात महारथी भीष्मने अर्जुनपर सतहत्तर बाण चलाये
sañjaya uvāca |
vikarṇo daśabhir bhallai rājann vivyādha pāṇḍavam |
Sanjaya berkata: Wahai Raja, Vikarṇa menikam Pāṇḍava (Arjuna) dengan sepuluh anak panah bhalla. Sesudah itu, dalam pertempuran masyhur para maharathi, Bhīṣma melepaskan tujuh puluh tujuh panah, Droṇa dua puluh lima, Kṛpa lima puluh, Duryodhana enam puluh empat, Śalya sembilan, Jayadratha sembilan, Śakuni lima, dan Vikarṇa sepuluh—lalu semuanya mengenai Arjuna, putera Pāṇḍu.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the intensity and moral pressure of battlefield duty: even when many renowned warriors focus their attack on a single opponent, the narrative underscores steadfastness under adversity and the harsh, collective nature of kṣatriya warfare.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Vikarṇa strikes Arjuna with ten bhalla-arrows, and the surrounding narration describes a coordinated volley by multiple Kaurava-side mahārathas—Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Kṛpa, Duryodhana, Śalya, Jayadratha, and Śakuni—who also shoot and hit Arjuna.