Shloka 21
Bhagadattā’s Deployment Against Ghaṭotkaca; Elephant-Corps Escalation
धनु: प्रपीड्य वामेन करेणामित्रकर्शन: । शिरक्षिच्छेद समरे शरेणानतपर्वणा
dhanuḥ prapīḍya vāmena kareṇāmitrakarśanaḥ | śiraś ciccheda samare śareṇānataparvaṇā ||
سنجے نے کہا—بائیں ہاتھ سے کمان کو مضبوطی سے دبا کر، دشمنوں کو کچلنے والے سورما نے میدانِ جنگ میں انَتَپَرو (بے خم جوڑ والے) تیر سے حریف کا سر کاٹ ڈالا۔
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the stark moral gravity of warfare: when a warrior commits to battle as duty, actions become swift and irreversible, highlighting both the discipline of martial skill and the heavy ethical cost of violence.
Sañjaya reports a battlefield moment where a warrior, bracing his bow with the left hand, releases a well-forged arrow and decapitates an opponent in combat.