Mahabharata — Drona Parva, Shloka 22
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 107: Karṇa–Bhīma Saṃmarda
Arrow-storm Engagement
सौमदत्ते: पुनर्यूपो यज्ञशीलस्थ धीमतः
saumadatteḥ punaryūpo yajñaśīlastha dhīmataḥ
Sañjaya dijo: «De nuevo se menciona/aparece el poste sacrificial (yūpa) de Saumadatti—el sabio, firme en la disciplina del sacrificio. El verso evoca el talante de piedad védica en plena guerra, recordando cómo la virtud ritual y el dharma heredado se mantienen presentes aun en la violenta presión del combate.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in the midst of war, the Mahābhārata repeatedly recalls a warrior’s prior dharmic identity—here, devotion to yajña and disciplined conduct—suggesting that ethical reputation and inherited duty remain morally significant beyond the battlefield.
Sañjaya continues his report of the battle events and, in doing so, refers again to Saumadatti and the image of a yūpa (sacrificial post), a marker of ritual life, to characterize him as a wise man grounded in sacrificial discipline.