Shloka 20
द्रोणपर्व — अध्याय १८: संशप्तकगणयुद्धे अर्जुनस्यास्त्रप्रयोगः
Drona Parva, Chapter 18: Arjuna’s astra-deployment against the Saṃśaptakas
ततः सुशर्मा दशभि: सुरथस्तु किरीटिनम् | सुधर्मा सुधनुश्वैव सुबाहुश्न समार्पयत्,यह देख सुशर्मा, सुरथ, सुधर्मा, सुधन््वा और सुबाहुने दस-दस बाणोंसे किरीटधारी अर्जुनको घायल कर दिया
tataḥ suśarmā daśabhiḥ surathas tu kirīṭinam | sudharmā sudhanuś caiva subāhuś ca samārpayat ||
Sañjaya said: Then Suśarmā struck the diadem-wearing Arjuna with ten arrows; and Suratha, Sudharmā, Sudhanu, and Subāhu likewise each assailed him with ten shafts, wounding him in the press of battle. Thus, in the heat of war, many warriors together sought to check the foremost fighter, showing how collective force is used against a single righteous champion when the tide of combat demands it.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic and reality: when a single eminent warrior stands as a decisive force, opponents may combine their efforts to restrain him. It reflects kṣatriya-dharma in practice—valor, persistence, and tactical cooperation—without implying moral superiority, but showing how duty-driven combat unfolds.
Sañjaya reports that Suśarmā and four other warriors each shoot ten arrows at Arjuna (called Kirīṭin, 'the diadem-wearer'), collectively wounding him as part of the ongoing clash in Droṇa Parva.