Shloka 39
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena
धृष्टझ्ुम्नस्तु समरे द्रौणेश्चिच्छेद कार्मुकम् । तदपास्य भनुद्रौणिरन्यदादाय कार्मुकम्
dhṛṣṭadyumnas tu samare drauṇeś ciccheda kārmukam | tad apāsya bhanu-drauṇir anyad ādāya kārmukam, hayān sūtaṁ rathaṁ caiva nimeṣād vyadhamac charaiḥ |
Sañjaya dit : Au plus fort du combat, Dhṛṣṭadyumna trancha l’arc d’Aśvatthāman. Jetant l’arme brisée, le fils éclatant de Droṇa saisit aussitôt un autre arc et, par une grêle de flèches fulgurante, abattit en un instant les chevaux, le cocher et le char de Dhṛṣṭadyumna.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how quickly warfare turns: even when a warrior suffers a setback (his bow cut), determination and skill can produce immediate retaliation. Ethically, it points to the tragic logic of battle—success is measured by disabling the opponent’s supports (horses, charioteer, chariot), showing how violence rapidly intensifies rather than resolves conflict.
Dhṛṣṭadyumna severs Aśvatthāman’s bow. Aśvatthāman throws it away, takes up another bow, and in an instant showers arrows that destroy Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s chariot-team and chariot apparatus (horses, charioteer, and chariot), turning the exchange decisively.