Shloka 7
द्रोणपुत्रस्याग्नेयास्त्रप्रयोगः — अर्जुनस्य ब्राह्मास्त्रप्रतिघातः — व्यासोपदेशः
Aśvatthāmā’s Agneyāstra, Arjuna’s Brāhmāstra Counter, and Vyāsa’s Instruction
त॑ द्रोणग: पञ्चविंशत्या विद्ध्वा भारत संयुगे । चिच्छेदान्येन भल्लेन धनुरस्य महास्वनम्,भरतनन्दन! तब द्रोणाचार्यने युद्धस्थलमें धृष्टद्युम्मको पचीस बाणोंसे घायल करके एक-दूसरे भल्लके द्वारा उनके घोर टंकार करनेवाले धनुषको काट दिया
tataḥ droṇaḥ pañcaviṃśatyā viddhvā bhārata saṃyuge | ciccheda anyena bhallena dhanur asya mahāsvanam, bharatanandana ||
Sañjaya said: Then Droṇa, O descendant of Bharata, struck him with twenty-five arrows in the thick of battle; and with another broad-headed shaft he cut down his great, thunder-sounding bow, thus disabling his power to fight by superior mastery of arms.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights mastery and restraint in warfare: rather than merely killing, a superior warrior may neutralize an opponent by disabling their weapon. It reflects the ethical dimension of kṣatriya combat where skill can be used to control the course of violence.
Sañjaya reports that Droṇa wounds his opponent with twenty-five arrows and then, using a bhalla, cuts the opponent’s loudly twanging bow, effectively disarming him on the battlefield.