Mahabharata 7.145.2 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 145, Shloka 2
धृष्टद्युम्नस्य द्रोणाभिमुख्यं तथा सात्यकि-कर्ण-समागमः
Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s advance toward Droṇa and the Sātyaki–Karṇa confrontation
प्रहरिष्यन् हृतो बाहुरदृश्येन किरीटिना । वेगेन न्न्यपतद् भूमौ पठ्चास्य इव पन्नग:
praharīṣyan hṛto bāhur adṛśyena kirīṭinā | vegena nyapatad bhūmau pañcāsya iva pannagaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: As that arm was raised to strike, it was severed by the unseen, swift shot of the diademed Arjuna; and with great force it fell to the earth, like a five-hooded serpent. The image underscores the ruthless precision of battle—where intent to harm is instantly checked by superior skill—while also hinting at the moral gravity of violence that, once unleashed, returns with terrifying consequence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how violent intention in war can be abruptly nullified by a more powerful counteraction, suggesting the moral weight and peril of aggression: the will to strike invites immediate and often devastating consequences, reminding readers of karma-like retribution within the battlefield’s dharmic crisis.
Sañjaya describes a combat moment: an opponent’s arm, lifted to deliver a blow, is cut off by Arjuna’s imperceptibly swift arrow, and the severed arm falls to the ground with great force, compared to a five-hooded serpent dropping down.
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