Mahabharata (Gita Press) 7.21.16 - Drona Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 16
द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping
ततः सत्यजितक्चापं छित्त्वा द्रोणो वृकस्य च । षड्भि: ससूतं सहयं शरैद्रोणो5वधीद् वृकम्,आचार्य द्रोणने सत्यजित् और वृक दोनोंके धनुष काटकर छ: बाणोंद्वारा उन्होंने सारथि और घोड़ोंसहित वृकको मार डाला
tataḥ satyajitaś cāpaṃ chittvā droṇo vṛkasya ca | ṣaḍbhiḥ sasūtaṃ sahayaṃ śarair droṇo ’vadhīd vṛkam ||
Sañjaya sprach: Dann hieb Droṇa die Bögen sowohl Satyajits als auch Vṛkas entzwei. Mit sechs Pfeilen erschlug er Vṛka samt Wagenlenker und Pferden — ein Geschehen, das zeigt, wie im erbarmungslosen Schwung der Schlacht Waffenmeisterschaft rasch über Leben und Tod entscheidet.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the stark ethics of battlefield duty (kṣatriya-dharma): in war, strategic superiority and precision can end a combatant’s life instantly, and the narrative invites reflection on the heavy moral weight of such decisive violence.
Droṇa first disables the opponents by cutting their bows; then he kills Vṛka with six arrows, and Vṛka falls along with his charioteer and horses—indicating a complete destruction of the chariot-unit.
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