Shloka 40
ततो बाणमयं वर्ष द्रोणपुत्रस्य मूर्थनि । अवासृजदमेयात्मा पाज्चाल्यो रथिनां वर:,तत्पश्चात् अमेय आत्मबलसे सम्पन्न, रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ पांचालपुत्र धृष्टद्युम्नने अश्वत्थामाके मस्तकपर बाणोंकी वर्षा आरम्भ कर दी
tato bāṇamayaṃ varṣaṃ droṇaputrasya mūrdhani | avāsṛjad ameyātmā pāñcālyo rathināṃ varaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Thereupon the Pāñcāla prince Dhṛṣṭadyumna—of immeasurable spirit and foremost among chariot-warriors—let loose a rain of arrows upon the head of Droṇa’s son (Aśvatthāmā).
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the relentless momentum of kṣatriya warfare: excellence, resolve, and tactical aggression are exercised as part of battlefield duty. Ethically, it underscores the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension—dharma in war is not serene; it is enacted amid violence, rivalry, and the necessity to confront formidable opponents.
Sañjaya reports that Dhṛṣṭadyumna, the Pāñcāla prince and a leading chariot-fighter, begins a fierce assault by showering Aśvatthāmā (Droṇa’s son) with a dense volley of arrows, striking toward his head—signaling an intensification of their combat.