Shloka 42
Śalya–Bhīma Gadāyuddham (मद्रराज-भीमसेन गदायुद्धम्)
पुरुषश्रेष्ठ भगदत्तने झुकी हुई गाँठवाले बाणोंसे राजा द्रपदको उनके सारथि, रथ और ध्वजसहित बींध डाला ।। द्रपदस्तु ततः क्रुद्धों भगदत्तं महारथम् । आजपघानोससि क्षिप्रं शरेणानतपर्वणा,यह देख ट्रुपदने कुपित हो शीघ्र ही झुकी हुई गाँठवाले बाणके द्वारा महारथी भगदत्तकी छातीमें प्रहार किया
sañjaya uvāca | puruṣaśreṣṭha bhagadattena jhūkī huī gāṇṭhavāle bāṇoṃ se rājā drupadaḥ tasya sārathiṃ rathaṃ dhvajaṃ ca saha viddhaḥ || drupadas tu tataḥ kruddho bhagadattaṃ mahāratham | ājaghāna śīghraṃ śareṇānataparvaṇā, tasya vakṣasi ||
भगदत्तः पुरुषश्रेष्ठो नतपर्वभिः शरैः। द्रुपदं ससारथिं रथं सध्वजं च व्यधत्॥ द्रुपदस्तु ततः क्रुद्धो भगदत्तं महारथम्। आजघानोरसि क्षिप्रं शरेणानतपर्वणा॥
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya battlefield ethic where injury demands immediate response, yet it also implicitly warns how anger (krodha) accelerates cycles of violence—prowess becomes inseparable from escalating retaliation.
Bhagadatta strikes Drupada so forcefully that the arrows also hit Drupada’s charioteer, chariot, and banner; Drupada, enraged, quickly counters by shooting Bhagadatta in the chest with a bent-jointed arrow.