Shloka 29
द्रोणपर्व — अध्याय १६२: प्रातःसंध्यायां युद्धप्रवृत्तिः तथा रजोमेघे संमूढता
ते तु पद्धक्तीकृता द्रौणिं शरा विविशुराशुगा: । रुक्मपुड्खा: प्रसन्नाग्रा: सर्वकायावदारणा:
te tu paddhaktīkṛtā drauṇiṁ śarā viviśur āśugāḥ | rukmapuḍkhāḥ prasannāgrāḥ sarvakāyāvadāraṇāḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Mais ces flèches rapides, tirées en un ordre parfaitement réglé, pénétrèrent aussitôt le fils de Droṇa (Aśvatthāman). Avec un empennage d’or et des pointes aiguës, bien trempées, elles déchirèrent tout son corps—image de l’élan inexorable de la guerre, où l’habileté disciplinée devient l’instrument d’un mal profond.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how disciplined technique and tactical order in war can magnify destructive power. It implicitly invites ethical reflection: excellence in skill (śaurya/śikṣā) is morally weighty because, when directed toward harm, it intensifies suffering and the consequences of conflict.
Sañjaya describes a volley of swift, well-arranged arrows striking Droṇa’s son Aśvatthāman. The arrows, described as gold-fletched and sharp-pointed, pierce and rend his body, conveying the ferocity and precision of the ongoing battle.