Shloka 32
तस्य पारावतानश्चान् रथशक््त्या पराभिनत् | सवनिकैकशो द्रोणो रक्तानश्वान् विवर्जयन्,द्रोणाचार्यने लाल घोड़ोंको बचाते हुए रथशक्तिका प्रहार करके बारी-बारीसे कबूतरके समान रंगवाले सभी घोड़ोंको मार डाला
tasya pārāvatān aśvān rathaśaktyā parābhinat | savanikaikaśo droṇo raktān aśvān vivarjayan ||
Sañjaya said: Drona, sparing the red horses, struck down—one after another—with a spear hurled from his chariot, all the horses that were dove-coloured.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, actions can reflect intention and discrimination: Drona’s choice to spare certain horses while destroying others highlights that agency and selectivity persist amid violence, raising ethical questions about necessity, proportionality, and purpose in kṣatriya conduct.
Sañjaya narrates that Droṇa, using a spear from his chariot, kills the dove-coloured horses one by one, while deliberately sparing the red horses—an episode emphasizing battlefield dominance and tactical targeting.