Shloka 35
Droṇa’s Rebuke to Duryodhana after Jayadratha’s Fall (द्रोणेन दुर्योधनं प्रति प्रत्युक्तिः)
न संदधन् विमुज्चन् वा मण्डलीकृतकार्मुक:
na sandadhan vimuñcan vā maṇḍalīkṛta-kārmukaḥ
Sañjaya said: He neither fixed his aim nor released his arrows, keeping his bow drawn in a circular, guarded posture—hesitating in the very act of violence, as if weighing the moment’s duty against the consequences of bloodshed.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, action is not merely mechanical; the verse highlights a moment of restraint and deliberation—an ethical pause where the warrior’s readiness is tempered by judgment about timing, duty, and the gravity of taking life.
Sañjaya describes a combatant poised to shoot: the bow is held ready in a controlled, circling guard, yet the fighter neither takes clear aim nor releases an arrow, indicating hesitation or tactical restraint at a critical instant.