Shloka 45
Adhyāya 104 — Śikhaṇḍin-puraskāraḥ (Śikhaṇḍin as Vanguard) and Bhīṣma’s Counter-Advance
तस्य द्रोणसुतश्चापं द्विधा चिच्छेद भारत । अथैनं छिन्नधन्वानं ताडयामास सायकै:,भारत! उस द्रोणपुत्रने सात्यकिके धनुषके दो टुकड़े कर दिये और धनुष कट जानेपर उन्हें सायकोंसे घायल करना आरम्भ किया
tasya droṇasutaś cāpaṃ dvidhā ciccheda bhārata | athainaṃ chinnadhanvānaṃ tāḍayāmāsa sāyakaiḥ ||
Sañjaya disse: Ó Bhārata, o filho de Droṇa cortou em dois o arco de Sātyaki. Então, ao vê-lo privado de sua arma, começou a golpeá-lo com flechas sem dar trégua—um episódio que evidencia o ímpeto implacável da batalha, em que a vantagem é pressionada sem pausa e o dharma do guerreiro é provado sob uma vulnerabilidade súbita.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how swiftly fortune turns in war and how a warrior’s dharma is tested when suddenly disadvantaged; it invites reflection on whether pressing an opponent’s vulnerability is merely tactical necessity or a moral strain within kṣatriya conduct.
Sañjaya reports that Aśvatthāmā, son of Droṇa, slices the opponent’s bow into two; once the foe is disarmed, he immediately continues the assault by striking him with arrows.