Shloka 20
द्रोणपुत्रस्याग्नेयास्त्रप्रयोगः — अर्जुनस्य ब्राह्मास्त्रप्रतिघातः — व्यासोपदेशः
Aśvatthāmā’s Agneyāstra, Arjuna’s Brāhmāstra Counter, and Vyāsa’s Instruction
ट्रुमसेनस्तु संक्रुद्धो राजन विव्याध पत्रिणा । त्रिभिक्षान्यै:शरैस्तूर्ण तिष्ठ तिछेति चाब्रवीत्,राजन्! उस समय द्रुमसेनने अत्यन्त कुपित होकर एक बाणसे धृष्टद्युम्नको बींध डाला। फिर तुरंत ही अन्य तीन बाणोंसे उन्हें घायल करके कहा--'अरे! खड़ा रह, खड़ा रह”
Sañjaya uvāca — Drumaseṇas tu saṅkruddho rājan vivyādha patriṇā | tribhir anyaiḥ śaraiḥ tūrṇaṃ tiṣṭha tiṣṭheti cābravīt ||
Sañjaya said: O King, Drumaseṇa, inflamed with anger, pierced Dhṛṣṭadyumna with a feathered arrow. Then, swiftly striking him with three more shafts, he cried out, “Stand! Stand!”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the battlefield ethic of kṣatriya conduct: courage and direct confrontation are prized, yet it also shows how anger (krodha) fuels escalation. The taunt “Stand! Stand!” reflects the warrior ideal of meeting an opponent face-to-face, while implicitly warning that wrath can drive one deeper into violence.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Drumaseṇa, angered, shoots Dhṛṣṭadyumna with one arrow and then quickly wounds him with three more, challenging him with the cry “Stand! Stand!” as a provocation and assertion of martial dominance.