Shloka 26
Adhyāya 65: Dawn Assembly, Makara–Śyena Vyūhas, and Commander Engagements
दुर्योधनने कुपित होकर उस महासंग्राममें अपने चार तीखे बाणोंद्वारा तुरंत ही धृष्टद्युम्नको बींध दिया ।। दुर्मर्षणश्न विंशत्या चित्रसेनश्व॒ पठचभि: । दुर्मुखो नवभिर्बाणैर्द:सहश्वापि सप्तभि:,एकैकं पज्चविंशत्या दर्शयन् पाणिलाघवम् | दुर्मषणने बीस, चित्रसेनने पाँच, दुर्मुखने नौ, दुःसहने सात, विविंशतिने पाँच तथा दुःशासनने तीन बाणोंसे उन सबको बींध डाला। राजेन्द्र! तब शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाले धष्टद्युम्नने अपने हाथोंकी फुर्ती दिखाते हुए दुर्योधन आदिमेंसे प्रत्येकको पचीस-पचीस बाणोंसे घायल किया
duryodhanena kupitena tasmin mahāsaṃgrāme caturbhiḥ tīkṣṇaiḥ śaraiḥ kṣaṇenaiva dhṛṣṭadyumno viddhaḥ || durmarṣaṇo viṃśatyā citrasenaś ca pañcabhiḥ | durmukho navabhir bāṇair duḥsahaś cāpi saptabhiḥ | vivimśatiś ca pañcabhir duḥśāsanaś ca tribhiḥ | ekam ekaṃ pañcaviṃśatyā darśayan pāṇilāghavam ||
Sañjaya said: Enraged in that great clash, Duryodhana at once pierced Dhṛṣṭadyumna with four sharp arrows. Durmarṣaṇa struck with twenty, Citrasena with five, Durmukha with nine arrows, and Duḥsaha with seven; Vivimśati with five and Duḥśāsana with three also pierced their foe. Then Dhṛṣṭadyumna—one who scorches enemies—displaying swift mastery of hand and weapon, wounded each of them in turn with twenty-five arrows apiece. The passage highlights the war’s relentless reciprocity: anger fuels violence, yet skill and resolve answer it in kind, tightening the moral pressure of battle where prowess often eclipses restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how anger (krodha) in war rapidly escalates into reciprocal harm: one side’s furious strike is met by an even more forceful counterstrike. It implicitly warns that martial excellence without restraint intensifies suffering, even when framed as kṣatriya duty.
In the thick of battle, Duryodhana and several Kaurava warriors shoot Dhṛṣṭadyumna with specified numbers of arrows. Dhṛṣṭadyumna then demonstrates superior dexterity by retaliating, wounding each of them with twenty-five arrows.