Shloka 2
Duryodhana Seeks Droṇa’s Counsel; Imperative to Protect Jayadratha; Pāñcāla Assault on Duryodhana
वासुदेवं च दशभश्रि: प्रत्यविध्यत् स्तनान्तरे | प्रतोद॑ चास्य भल्लेन छित्त्वा भूमावपातयत्,इसी प्रकार दस बाण मारकर उसने श्रीकृष्णकी भी छाती छेद डाली और एक भल्लसे उनके चाबुकको काटकर पृथ्वीपर गिरा दिया
vāsudevaṃ ca daśabhiḥ pratyavidhyat stanāntare | pratodaṃ cāsya bhallena chittvā bhūmāv apātayat |
Sañjaya said: He struck Vāsudeva as well with ten arrows, piercing him in the region of the chest; and with a sharp bhalla he cut down his whip and made it fall to the ground. The scene underscores the ferocity of battle, where even Kṛṣṇa—though not fighting with weapons—becomes a target, while the charioteer’s implements are attacked to disrupt control and duty on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war pressures dharma: even those not wielding weapons (like Kṛṣṇa as charioteer) may be attacked, and opponents may target tools (the whip) to impair control of the chariot. It invites reflection on battlefield ethics versus tactical necessity.
In the midst of the Drona Parva fighting, an enemy warrior shoots Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva) with ten arrows in the chest area and then severs his whip with a bhalla arrow, making it drop to the ground—an attempt to disrupt the chariot’s operation.