Shloka 196
Book 9 (Śalya-parva), Adhyāya 13 — Arjuna’s Arrow-storm and the Drauṇi Confrontation
भीमसेनमुखांस्तांश्न त्रिभिस्त्रेभिरताडयत् । यह देख शल्यने एक क्षुरप्रसे सात्यकिके विशाल धनुषको काट दिया और भीमसेन आदिको भी तीन-तीन बाणोंसे चोट पहुँचायी
bhīmasenamukhāṁs tāṁś ca tribhis tribhir atāḍayat |
Sañjaya berkata: Melihat hal itu, Śalya memanah Bhīmasena dan para pahlawan terkemuka yang lain, masing-masing dengan tiga anak panah. Dalam pertukaran yang sama, dia juga memutuskan busur lebar Sātyaki dengan sebatang anak panah bermata pisau—tanda ketepatan kejam kemahiran medan perang, kerana melumpuhkan senjata lawan sama menentukan seperti melukakan pahlawan itu sendiri.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic where mastery and strategy—such as disabling an enemy’s weapon—can be more decisive than brute force. It also underscores the harsh reality of war: prowess is measured by effectiveness, even when the means are violent.
Sañjaya narrates Śalya’s actions: he wounds Bhīmasena and other leading fighters with three arrows each, and he cuts Sātyaki’s large bow with a razor-headed arrow, temporarily neutralizing Sātyaki’s fighting capacity.