Shloka 16
शरांश्षाशीविषाकाराज्ज्वलितान् पन्नगानिव । द्रोणं त्रिभिश्व विव्याध चतुर्भिश्चास्य वाजिन:,उन्होंने उसके द्वारा प्रज्वलित सर्पोंकी भाँति विषैले नागोंकी-ती आकृतिवाले बाण छोड़कर तीनसे द्रोणाचार्यको और चार बाणोंसे उनके घोड़ोंको बींध डाला
sañjaya uvāca |
śarān āśīviṣākārāj jvalitān pannagān iva |
droṇaṃ tribhiś ca vivyādha caturbhiś cāsya vājinaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: He discharged blazing arrows, shaped like venomous serpents, and with three of them he pierced Droṇa; with four more he struck down Droṇa’s horses. The scene underscores the ruthless precision of battlefield skill, where even revered teachers are treated as targets amid the demands of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim logic of kṣatriya warfare: in the press of battle, even a venerable teacher like Droṇa becomes a combatant to be checked. It points to the ethical tension between reverence and duty, showing how dharma in war can demand harsh, targeted action.
Sañjaya describes a warrior releasing flaming, serpent-like arrows: three strike Droṇa himself, and four strike Droṇa’s horses, disabling or weakening his chariot’s mobility in the ongoing Kurukṣetra combat.