Shloka 37
राजन्! तदनन्तर धृष्टद्युम्नने प्रजलित अग्निके समान तेजस्वी द्रोणपुत्रको तिरसठ बाणोंसे बींध डाला ।। सारथिं चास्य विंशत्या स्वर्णपुड्खै: शिलाशितै: । हयांश्व चतुरो<विध्यच्चतुर्भिनिशितै: शरै:
sañjaya uvāca |
rājan! tadanantaraṃ dhṛṣṭadyumnena prajvalitāgnisama-tejasvinā droṇaputro triṣaṣṭibhir bāṇair viddhaḥ ||
sārathiṃ cāsya viṃśatyā svarṇapuṅkhaiḥ śilāśitaiḥ |
hayāṃś ca caturo ’vidhyac caturbhi niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Ô roi ! Ensuite, Dhṛṣṭadyumna—embrasé d’un éclat pareil au feu—transperça le fils de Droṇa (Aśvatthāmā) de soixante-trois flèches. Il frappa aussi son cocher de vingt traits, aux hampes ornées d’or et aiguisées sur la pierre ; et il blessa les quatre chevaux de quatre flèches acérées.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma as expressed in war: decisive action, tactical targeting (warrior, charioteer, horses), and unwavering engagement in one’s assigned duty, even when it entails harsh violence.
Dhrishtadyumna attacks Aśvatthāmā (Droṇa’s son), piercing him with sixty-three arrows, then striking his charioteer with twenty gold-adorned, stone-sharpened arrows, and finally wounding the four horses with four sharp shafts—an attempt to weaken his opponent’s fighting capacity and mobility.