Shloka 22
Droṇa-pātana-paripṛcchā (Inquiry into the Fall of Droṇa) | द्रोणपातनपरिपृच्छा
तन्वता परमास्त्राणि शरान् सततमस्यता । द्रोणेन विहितं दिक्षु शरजालमदृश्यत,द्रोणाचार्यने निरन्तर बाणोंकी वर्षा और उत्तम अस्त्रोंका विस्तार करके सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंमें बाणोंका जाल-सा बुन दिया, जो स्पष्ट दिखलायी दे रहा था
tanvatā paramāstrāṇi śarān satatam asyatā | droṇena vihitaṃ dikṣu śarajālam adṛśyata ||
Sañjaya said: As Droṇa ceaselessly discharged arrows and unfolded his supreme weapons, a net of shafts—spread out in every direction by him—became visible, as though the very quarters had been woven shut. The scene underscores how mastery of arms, when driven by the compulsions of war, can turn the battlefield into an inescapable enclosure for all who stand within it.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary skill and ‘supreme weapons’ can create an all-encompassing dominance in war; ethically, it invites reflection on the terrifying efficiency of violence and the way conflict can ‘close off’ all directions—leaving little room for restraint, escape, or humane limits.
Sañjaya describes Droṇa continuously shooting arrows while deploying powerful astras, producing a visible, pervasive ‘net of arrows’ across all directions—an image of the battlefield being saturated and controlled by Droṇa’s missile barrage.