Shloka 403
द्रोणपर्व — अध्याय १६२: प्रातःसंध्यायां युद्धप्रवृत्तिः तथा रजोमेघे संमूढता
छादयामास च शरैर्नि:श्वसन् पन्नगो यथा । उसने धृष्टद्युम्मकी ओर इस प्रकार देखा मानो अपने नेत्रोंके तेजसे उन्हें दग्ध कर डालेगा। साथ ही सर्पकी भाँति फुफकारते हुए अभश्वत्थामाने उन्हें अपने बाणोंद्वारा ढक दिया
chādayāmāsa ca śarair niḥśvasan pannago yathā |
Sañjaya said: Breathing hard and hissing like a serpent, he covered his foe with a shower of arrows, gazing at Dhrishtadyumna as though he would burn him down by the sheer fire of his eyes.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how uncontrolled anger in battle dehumanizes the warrior: the serpent-simile and the image of burning with the eyes portray wrath overpowering discernment, warning that even within kṣatriya duty, ethical restraint is crucial.
Sañjaya describes Aśvatthāman, seething and hissing like a serpent, fixing a fierce gaze on Dhṛṣṭadyumna and then overwhelming him by covering him with a rapid volley of arrows.