Shloka 56
द्रोणपर्व — अध्याय १६२: प्रातःसंध्यायां युद्धप्रवृत्तिः तथा रजोमेघे संमूढता
त्रिभिश्व निशितैर्बाणत्वा त्रीन् वै महारथान् । द्रौणिर्द्रपदपुत्रस्य फाल्गुनस्यथ च पश्यत:
tribhir niśitair bāṇair hatvā trīn vai mahārathān | drauṇir drapadaputrasya phālgunasya atha ca paśyataḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : D’un seul coup, avec trois flèches acérées, Droṇi abattit trois grands combattants de char, et il le fit sous les yeux du fils de Drupada et de Phālguna. La scène met en relief la précision impitoyable du savoir guerrier et la tension morale de la guerre : même la présence de héros illustres n’empêche pas la mort soudaine.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh moral landscape of war: extraordinary martial prowess can bring instant death even before eminent witnesses, reminding readers that battlefield dharma involves skill and courage but also exposes the tragic cost and unpredictability of violence.
Sañjaya reports that Droṇi (Aśvatthāman) kills three elite warriors with three sharp arrows, and this occurs in the sight of Dṛṣṭadyumna (Drupada’s son) and Arjuna (Phālguna), emphasizing both Droṇi’s lethal efficiency and the shock of events unfolding before major heroes.