Shloka 24
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ७२: सैन्यगुणवर्णनम्, व्यूहरक्षा, दैव-पुरुषकारचिन्ता
भीमसेनस्तत: क्रुद्धों भारद्वाजमविध्यत । संरक्षन् सात्यकिं राजन् द्रोणाच्छस्त्रभृतां वरात्,राजन्! तब भीमसेनने कुपित होकर शस्त्रधारियोंमें श्रेष्ठ द्रोणाचार्यसे सात्यकिकी रक्षा करते हुए आचार्यको अपने बाणोंसे बींध डाला
bhīmasenas tataḥ kruddho bhāradvājam avidhyat | saṁrakṣan sātyakiṁ rājan droṇāc chastrabhṛtāṁ varāt ||
Sañjaya said: Then Bhīmasena, inflamed with anger, struck Bhāradvāja (Droṇa) with his arrows. O King, while shielding Sātyaki from Droṇa—the foremost among weapon-bearers—Bhīma pierced the preceptor, placing the duty of protection above personal restraint amid the press of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
In the chaos of battle, a warrior’s dharma often appears as protective responsibility: Bhīma prioritizes safeguarding an ally (Sātyaki) even when it requires confronting a revered and formidable teacher-warrior like Droṇa. The verse highlights duty-driven action under pressure, while also hinting at the moral tension between righteous protection and anger-fueled violence.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīma, angered, shoots and pierces Droṇa with arrows. The immediate context is defensive: Bhīma is protecting Sātyaki from Droṇa, who is described as the foremost among weapon-wielders.