Shloka 32
Droṇavadha-saṃniveśaḥ — The Convergence Toward Droṇa’s Fall
Book 7, Chapter 164
स विमुक्तो बलवता शैनेयेन शरोत्तम: । घोरस्तस्योरसि विभो निपपाताशु भारत,भरतनन्दन! प्रभो! शिनिवंशी बलवान् सात्यकिके द्वारा छोड़ा हुआ वह श्रेष्ठ एवं भयंकर बाण शीघ्र ही सोमदत्तकी छातीपर जा पड़ा
sa vimukto balavatā śaineyena śarottamaḥ | ghoras tasyorasi vibho nipapātāśu bhārata ||
Sañjaya said: Released with great force by Śaineya (Sātyaki), that foremost arrow—terrible in its impact—swiftly struck Somadatta upon the chest.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral gravity of martial action: once a powerful deed is initiated—here, the release of an arrow—its consequences arrive swiftly and cannot be recalled. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical frame, this reinforces accountability (karma) and the sobering cost of war even when performed as kṣatriya-duty.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Śaineya (Sātyaki) shoots a mighty, fearsome arrow, and it quickly strikes Somadatta in the chest, marking a decisive moment of injury amid the ongoing battle.