Shloka 4
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 109 — Karṇa–Bhīma Yuddha and Durmukha’s Fall (कर्णभीमयुद्धम्; दुर्मुखवधः)
अथीैनं छिन्नधन्वानं शरेणानतपर्वणा । विव्याध समरे तूर्ण प्रवरं सर्वधन्विनाम्,धनुष कट जानेपर समस्त धनुर्धरोंमें श्रेष्ठ बृहत्क्षत्रकों समरांगणमें झुकी हुई गाँठवाले बाणसे उसने तुरंत ही बींध डाला
atha enaṃ chinnadhanvānaṃ śareṇānataparvaṇā | vivyādha samare tūrṇaṃ pravaraṃ sarvadhanvinām ||
Sañjaya berkata: Kemudian, di tengah pertempuran, dia segera menikam pahlawan itu—kini tanpa busur—dengan sebatang anak panah yang ruas-ruasnya melengkung; dia menewaskan seorang yang dihitung terunggul antara semua pemanah.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh immediacy of battlefield dharma: once a warrior is disarmed, vulnerability follows at once, and excellence in archery does not guarantee safety. It reflects the Mahābhārata’s ethical tension—valor and skill operate within a world of sudden reversals, where outcomes can turn in an instant.
Sañjaya reports that a warrior, having had his bow cut or lost, is quickly struck in battle by an arrow described as ānataparvaṇa (“with bent joints/knots”). The target is praised as a foremost archer, emphasizing the significance of the blow and the intensity of the combat.