Shloka 54
द्रोणकर्णयोः निशि संप्रहारः — Night Engagement with Droṇa and Karṇa
तं॑ द्रौणि: पञचविंशत्या वृषसेनश्न सप्तभि:
taṁ drauṇiḥ pañcaviṁśatyā vṛṣasenaś ca saptabhiḥ
Sañjaya dit : Aśvatthāman, fils de Droṇa, le frappa de vingt-cinq flèches, et Vṛṣasena aussi de sept—redoublant la pression du combat par une grêle de traits concentrée.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the Mahābhārata’s recurring ethical tension: martial skill and intensity in war can be admirable as kṣatriya prowess, yet it also highlights how conflict escalates through coordinated violence, inviting reflection on the cost of warfare even when performed as ‘duty’.
Sañjaya reports a moment of battlefield action where Aśvatthāman shoots the opponent with twenty-five arrows, and Vṛṣasena adds seven more, indicating a combined assault and the rapid exchange of missiles typical of the Kurukṣetra war.