Mahabharata (Gita Press) 7.21.16 - Drona Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 16
द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping
ततः सत्यजितक्चापं छित्त्वा द्रोणो वृकस्य च । षड्भि: ससूतं सहयं शरैद्रोणो5वधीद् वृकम्,आचार्य द्रोणने सत्यजित् और वृक दोनोंके धनुष काटकर छ: बाणोंद्वारा उन्होंने सारथि और घोड़ोंसहित वृकको मार डाला
tataḥ satyajitaś cāpaṃ chittvā droṇo vṛkasya ca | ṣaḍbhiḥ sasūtaṃ sahayaṃ śarair droṇo ’vadhīd vṛkam ||
Dijo Sañjaya: Entonces Droṇa cortó los arcos de Satyajit y de Vṛka. Con seis flechas dio muerte a Vṛka junto con su auriga y sus caballos; un episodio que muestra cómo, en el impulso implacable de la batalla, el dominio de las armas decide con rapidez la vida y la muerte.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the stark ethics of battlefield duty (kṣatriya-dharma): in war, strategic superiority and precision can end a combatant’s life instantly, and the narrative invites reflection on the heavy moral weight of such decisive violence.
Droṇa first disables the opponents by cutting their bows; then he kills Vṛka with six arrows, and Vṛka falls along with his charioteer and horses—indicating a complete destruction of the chariot-unit.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata (Gita Press) in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.