Shloka 28
Chapter 12: Arjuna’s suppression of the Saṃśaptakas and duel with Aśvatthāmā
Drauṇi
व्यपसृत्य तु नागाभ्यां मण्डलानि विचेरतु: । प्रगृह्ा चोभी धनुषी जध्नतुर्वे परस्परम्
vyapasṛtya tu nāgābhyāṃ maṇḍalāni viceratuḥ | pragṛhya cobhī dhanuṣī jaghnatur vai parasparam || tāv anyonyasya samare saṃchिद्य dhanuṣī śubhe | hatvā ca sārathī tūṛṇaṃ hayāṃś ca rathināṃ varī ||
Sañjaya berkata: Setelah berundur dari gajah-gajah itu, kedua-dua pahlawan mula berputar dalam gerakan melingkar. Mengangkat busur, mereka saling menghujani anak panah. Dalam pertempuran itu, masing-masing memutuskan busur indah lawannya; dan yang terunggul antara para pejuang kereta perang segera membunuh sais serta kuda-kuda pihak lawan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how warfare tends to escalate: once direct exchanges begin, combatants aim not only to wound but to disable the opponent’s capacity to fight (breaking bows, killing charioteer and horses). Ethically, it reflects the harsh logic of kṣatriya-battle where victory is pursued through tactical dismantling, raising implicit questions about the cost of glory and the momentum of violence.
Two warriors withdraw from their elephants, circle tactically, and exchange arrow-strikes with bows. Each breaks the other’s bow; then the leading chariot-fighter quickly kills the opponent’s charioteer and horses, crippling the enemy chariot’s effectiveness.