Shloka 34
ततोअस्य विमलं द्रौणि: शतचन्द्रं मनोरमम् । चर्माच्छिनदर्सि चास्य खण्डयामास संयुगे,तब अअभश्वत्थामाने सौ चन्द्राकार चिह्लोंसे सुशोभित शिखण्डीकी परम सुन्दर ढाल और चमकीली तलवारको युद्धस्थलमें टूक-टूक कर दिया
tato ’sya vimalaṃ drauṇiḥ śatacandraṃ manoramam | carmāc chinad asiṃ cāsya khaṇḍayāmāsa saṃyuge ||
Sañjaya said: Then Drauṇi (Aśvatthāmā), in the midst of battle, shattered his opponent’s spotless and delightful shield—adorned with a hundred moon-like bosses—and also cut down his sword, breaking the weapons into pieces. The scene underscores how, in the brutal logic of war, prowess is displayed through the disabling of an enemy’s arms rather than through words, even as the larger conflict continues to test the boundaries of dharma.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the battlefield ethic where victory is pursued by neutralizing an opponent’s weapons; it reflects the harsh, duty-bound reality of kṣatriya warfare, while implicitly reminding readers that martial skill operates within (and sometimes strains) the wider framework of dharma.
Sañjaya describes Drauṇi (Aśvatthāmā) cutting and shattering the opponent’s ornate shield (with many moon-like bosses) and also breaking the opponent’s sword during the fight.