Duryodhana Seeks Droṇa’s Counsel; Imperative to Protect Jayadratha; Pāñcāla Assault on Duryodhana
तानस्यास्त्रेण चिच्छेद दौणि: सर्वास्त्रधातिना । धनुषके बीचमें रखकर अर्जुनके द्वारा खींचे जानेवाले उन बाणोंको अभ्वत्थामाने सर्वस्त्रधातक अस्त्रके द्वारा काट डाला
sañjaya uvāca |
tān asyāstreṇa ciccheda dauṇiḥ sarvāstradhātinā |
Sanjaya said: Then Droṇa’s son (Aśvatthāman), employing the weapon called Sarvāstradhātin, cut down those arrows—arrows that were being drawn and released by Arjuna with his bow held steady. The scene underscores the escalating contest of skill and counter-skill in war, where each fighter answers force with force, and the ethical tension lies in how martial brilliance can both protect and intensify destruction.
संजय उवाच