Shloka 12
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 25 — Bhīma’s Disruption of Elephant Formations and Bhagadatta’s Shock Advance
अथान्यद् धनुरादाय सैन्धव: कृतहस्तवत् । विव्याध क्षत्रवर्माणं रणे सर्वायसै: शरै:,तब सिंधुराजने दूसरा धनुष लेकर सिद्धहस्त पुरुषकी भाँति सम्पूर्णतः लोहेके बने हुए बाणोंद्वारा रणक्षेत्रमें क्षत्रवर्माको घायल कर दिया
athānyad dhanur ādāya saindhavaḥ kṛtahastavat | vivyādha kṣatravarmāṇaṃ raṇe sarvāyasaiḥ śaraiḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Kemudian raja Sindhu mengambil busur yang lain, mengendalikannya seperti pemanah mahir, lalu di medan perang melukai Kṣatravarmā dengan anak panah yang seluruhnya diperbuat daripada besi.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in the momentum of war, warriors intensify their means—switching weapons and using more deadly missiles—showcasing skill and determination. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension: kṣatriya duty to fight versus the tragic cost and hardening of conduct that prolonged conflict can produce.
Sañjaya reports that Jayadratha (Saindhava) takes up a different bow and, with expert ease, shoots Kṣatravarmā in the battle using arrows described as entirely iron, thereby wounding him.