Shloka 56
Adhyāya 104 — Śikhaṇḍin-puraskāraḥ (Śikhaṇḍin as Vanguard) and Bhīṣma’s Counter-Advance
विव्याध च सुतीक्ष्णेन पृषत्केन महामृथे । परीप्सन् स्वसुतं राजन् वार्ष्णेयेनाभिपीडितम्
vivyādha ca sutīkṣṇena pṛṣatkena mahāmṛdhe | parīpsan svasutaṃ rājan vārṣṇeyenābhipīḍitam ||
Sañjaya said: In that great battle, the preceptor, seeking to protect his own son who was being hard-pressed by Sātyaki of the Vṛṣṇi line, struck him with a keen arrow, wounding him.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical strain of warfare: personal attachments (a father's concern for his son) can override ideals of impartial conduct, even for a revered teacher. It invites reflection on how dharma becomes complex when duty, affection, and survival intersect on the battlefield.
During the great battle, Aśvatthāman is being heavily attacked by Sātyaki. Droṇa, intent on saving his son, shoots a sharp arrow and wounds the assailant, intervening directly to relieve the pressure.