Shloka 16
अभिमन्यु–अलम्बुसयुद्धम् / The Duel of Abhimanyu and Alambusa
with Arjuna’s approach to Bhīṣma
एवमुक््त्वा महाबाहुर्महद् विस्फार्य कार्मुकम् । भारद्वाजस्ततो भीम॑ षड्विंशत्या समार्पयत्,कौरव महारथियोंसे पूर्वोक्त बात कहनेके पश्चात् महाबाहु भरद्वाजनन्दन द्रोणाचार्यने अपने विशाल धनुषको खींचकर भीमसेनको छब्बीस बाण मारे
evam uktvā mahābāhur mahad visphārya kārmukam | bhāradvājas tato bhīmaṃ ṣaḍviṃśatyā samārpayat ||
Sañjaya said: Having spoken thus, the mighty-armed son of Bhāradvāja (Droṇa) drew his great bow to its full stretch and then struck Bhīmasena with twenty-six arrows. The scene underscores the relentless escalation of battle, where prowess and resolve are displayed without pause, even as the moral weight of fratricidal war looms over every act.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the warrior code (kṣatriya-dharma) in action—decisive, disciplined use of skill—while implicitly reminding the listener that such prowess unfolds within the tragic moral tension of a kin-slaying war.
After making a prior statement, Droṇa draws his great bow and strikes Bhīma with twenty-six arrows; Sañjaya reports this to Dhṛtarāṣṭra as part of the unfolding battle account.