Shloka 54
द्रोणपुत्रस्याग्नेयास्त्रप्रयोगः — अर्जुनस्य ब्राह्मास्त्रप्रतिघातः — व्यासोपदेशः
Aśvatthāmā’s Agneyāstra, Arjuna’s Brāhmāstra Counter, and Vyāsa’s Instruction
इह चेल्लभ्यते लक्ष्यं कृत्स्नान् जेष्यामहे परान् | 'ये सात्वतशिरोमणि सात्यकि इस समय हमलोगोंके बीचमें खड़े हैं। यदि यहाँ इन्हें हम अपने बाणोंका निशाना बना सकें तो निश्चय ही सम्पूर्ण शत्रुओंपर विजय पा सकेंगे ।। ५३ ३ || एष पाउ्चालराजस्य पुत्रो द्रोणेन संगत:
sañjaya uvāca | iha cel labhyate lakṣyaṁ kṛtsnān jeṣyāmahe parān | eṣa pāñcālarājasya putro droṇena saṁgataḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Jika di sini sasaran itu dapat dipastikan—jika ia dapat kita bawa ke dalam jangkauan anak panah kita—maka sungguh kita akan menaklukkan para musuh seluruhnya. Dan inilah putra raja Pāñcāla, yang kini bertempur melawan Droṇa.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension of war: victory is pursued through precise, strategic action (making a key opponent the ‘target’), showing how outcomes in battle often hinge on focus and timing—yet this very calculus raises questions about dharma when persons are reduced to objectives.
Sañjaya reports that a crucial warrior—identified as the son of the Pāñcāla king—is presently within reach and engaged with Droṇa. The speaker frames him as a decisive ‘target’: if he can be struck effectively, the Kaurava side expects a sweeping victory over the opposing forces.