Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
ततः क्रुद्धों महेष्वास: सप्तभल्लै: सुतेजनै: । धनूंषि तेषामाच्छिद्य ममर्द पृतनापति:
tataḥ kruddho maheṣvāsaḥ saptabhallaiḥ sutejanaiḥ | dhanūṃṣi teṣām ācchidya mamarda pṛtanāpatiḥ ||
三阇耶说道:随即,那位伟大的弓手、军阵统帅湿婆多怒火勃发,以七支磨砺锋利的“婆罗”(bhalla)箭斩断众人的弓,摧折了他们的战力。
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic where superior skill is shown through precise, goal-directed action—disarming by cutting bows—demonstrating controlled application of force within kṣatriya-dharma rather than mere indiscriminate killing.
Sañjaya reports that an enraged great archer, the army commander, uses seven razor-sharp bhalla arrows to sever the bows of the opposing warriors, thereby neutralizing them and asserting dominance in the fight.