Shloka 17
Arjuna’s Advance toward Bhīṣma; The Gāṇḍīva’s Signal and the Armies’ Convergence (भीष्माभिमुखगमनम् — गाण्डीवनिर्घोष-ध्वजवर्णनम्)
भीमस्य च रणे राजन धरनुश्चिच्छेद भासुरम् । मुष्टिदेशे भृशं ती#णैस्त्रिभिर्भल्लैर्हसन्निव
sañjaya uvāca |
bhīmasya ca raṇe rājan dhanuś ciccheda bhāsuram |
muṣṭideśe bhṛśaṃ tīkṣṇais tribhir bhallair hasann iva ||
三阇耶说道：王啊，在战阵之中，他以三支极锋利的“婆罗”箭，将毗摩那光辉的弓在握把处截断，仿佛含笑而为。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, mastery and intent can disable an opponent by targeting the instrument of action (the bow) rather than merely the body—showing the ethical tension of kṣatriya-dharma: valor and skill are praised, yet the spectacle of ‘laughing’ while harming points to the hardening of the heart that prolonged conflict can produce.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, during the fight, Bhīma’s shining bow is cut through at the grip with three very sharp bhalla arrows, the attacker appearing to do so with a mocking smile—an act meant to disarm and psychologically dominate Bhīma.