Shloka 16
Droṇavadha-saṃniveśaḥ — The Convergence Toward Droṇa’s Fall
Book 7, Chapter 164
अथैनं पञ्चविंशत्या सायकानां समार्पयत् । त्वरमाणस्त्वराकाले पुनश्न दशभि: शरै:,और तत्काल ही उनपर पचीस बाणोंका प्रहार किया। शीघ्रताके अवसरपर शीघ्रता करनेवाले सोमदत्तने सात्यकिको पुनः दस बाणोंसे घायल कर दिया
athainaṁ pañcaviṁśatyā sāyakānāṁ samārpayat | tvaramāṇas tvarākāle punaś ca daśabhiḥ śaraiḥ ||
Puis il l’assaillit de vingt-cinq flèches. Et, quand l’instant réclamait la vitesse, Somadatta, prompt dans l’urgence, le blessa de nouveau de dix traits.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya battlefield ethic of timely decisiveness: when urgency arises, swift and focused action can determine outcomes. It also reflects the relentless momentum of combat, where initiative and responsiveness are treated as virtues within the war-code.
Sañjaya reports that Somadatta strikes Sātyaki with a volley of twenty-five arrows and then, pressing the advantage, wounds him again with ten more arrows—an escalation meant to check Sātyaki’s advance in the Drona Parva battle.