Shloka 29
रात्रौ युद्धप्रवृत्तिः — Night Battle Begins; Duryodhana’s Protective Orders for Droṇa
Droṇa-parva 139
ते शरैरभिन्नमर्माणो रथेभ्य: प्रापतन् क्षितौ | गिरिसानुरुहा भग्ना द्विपेनेव महाद्रुमा:,उन बाणोंसे मर्मस्थल विदीर्ण हो जानेके कारण वे सातों वीर रथोंसे पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़े, मानो किसी हाथीने पर्वतके शिखरपर खड़े हुए विशाल वृक्षोंको तोड़ गिराया हो
te śarair abhinna-marmāṇo rathebhyaḥ prāpatan kṣitau | girisānuruhā bhagnā dvipeneva mahādrumāḥ ||
Dengan titik-titik vital mereka ditembus dan dihancurkan oleh anak panah, para kesatria itu jatuh dari kereta perang ke bumi—laksana pohon-pohon raksasa di lereng gunung yang dipatahkan dan dijatuhkan oleh seekor gajah.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the vulnerability of embodied life: when the ‘marmas’ (vital points) are struck, even powerful fighters collapse. Ethically, it serves as a stark reminder of the cost of war and the impermanence of worldly strength.
Sanjaya describes warriors being hit in their vital spots by arrows and falling from their chariots to the ground, compared to huge trees on a mountainside snapped down by an elephant.