Shloka 226

Duryodhana Seeks Droṇa’s Counsel; Imperative to Protect Jayadratha; Pāñcāla Assault on Duryodhana

Devanagari script

तानस्यास्त्रेण चिच्छेद दौणि: सर्वास्त्रधातिना । धनुषके बीचमें रखकर अर्जुनके द्वारा खींचे जानेवाले उन बाणोंको अभ्वत्थामाने सर्वस्त्रधातक अस्त्रके द्वारा काट डाला

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

tān asyāstreṇa ciccheda dauṇiḥ sarvāstradhātinā |

Translation

Sanjaya said: Then Droṇa’s son, Aśvatthāman, using the weapon called Sarvāstradhātin, cut down those arrows—arrows that Arjuna, his bow held steady, was drawing and releasing. The scene marks the rising contest of skill and counter-skill in war: force answered by force, and the ethical strain that martial brilliance can both shield and deepen destruction.

Word by Word

• तान्: those (arrows)
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अस्य: of him (Arjuna)
• अस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अस्त्रेण: by a weapon/missile
• अस्त्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• चिच्छेद: cut, severed
• चिच्छेद: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• द्रौणिः: Drauni (Aśvatthāman)
• द्रौणिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रौणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वास्त्रधातिना: with the all-weapon-destroying (missile)
• सर्वास्त्रधातिना: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वास्त्रधातिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Aśvatthāman (Dauṇi)
• Arjuna
• bow (dhanuḥ, implied)
• arrows (bāṇa, implied)
• Sarvāstradhātin astra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how warfare tends to escalate through reciprocal counters: one warrior’s prowess is met by another’s superior counter-weapon. Ethically, it points to the tragic dynamic where intelligence and discipline, when harnessed for battle, can become instruments that multiply harm rather than restore order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna is releasing arrows, and Aśvatthāman responds by using the Sarvāstradhātin astra to cut those arrows apart mid-action, neutralizing Arjuna’s attack through a powerful countermeasure.