Mahabharata 7.21.17 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 17
द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping
अथान्यद् धनुरादाय सत्यजिद् वेगवत्तरम् | साश्वंं ससूतं विशिखैद्रोणं विव्याध सध्वजम्
athānyad dhanur ādāya satyajid vegavattaram | sāśvaṃ sasūtaṃ viśikhair droṇaṃ vivyādha sadhvajam ||
Saat itu juga Satyajit mengangkat busur lain yang lebih cepat dayanya, lalu dengan anak panah tajam menembus Droṇācārya beserta kuda, kusir, dan panjinya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh ethical reality of dharma in war: once battle is joined, even a venerable teacher like Droṇa is engaged as an active combatant, and opponents strike decisively to disable his fighting capacity (chariot, horses, driver, and standard), showing how duty and survival can override personal reverence.
Sañjaya reports that Satyajit switches to another, faster bow and shoots arrows that strike Droṇa along with the key elements of his chariot formation—horses, charioteer, and banner—indicating an intense exchange aimed at crippling Droṇa’s battlefield effectiveness.
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