Mahabharata — Bhishma Parva, Shloka 71
Droṇa–Dhṛṣṭadyumna-yuddha (द्रोण-धृष्टद्युम्न-युद्धम्) — Tactical duel and allied interventions
श्रुतायुस्तु ततः क्रुद्ध: फाल्गुने: समरे हयान् । निजघान गदाग्रेण ततो युद्धमवर्तत
śrutāyus tu tataḥ kruddhaḥ phālguneḥ samare hayān | nijaghāna gadāgreṇa tato yuddham avartata ||
Sañjaya said: Then Śrutāyus, inflamed with anger, struck down in battle the horses of Phālguni with the blow of his mace. After that, a fierce and close-fought combat arose between the two.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how anger (krodha) intensifies conflict: a single destructive act—killing an opponent’s horses—triggers an immediate escalation into a sustained duel, illustrating the moral danger of wrath even within the warrior code.
Sañjaya reports that Śrutāyus, enraged, strikes down the horses of Phālguni (Arjuna) with his mace; as a result, the encounter sharpens into a fierce, direct battle between them.