Shloka 28
दुर्योधन-कर्ण-संवादः
Duryodhana–Karna Dialogue on Vyūha-bheda and Daiva
तस्य द्रोणो धरनुर्मध्ये क्षुपप्रेण शितेन च । चकर्त गार्ध्रपत्रेण यतमानस्य शुष्मिण:,तब द्रोणाचार्यने गीधकी पाँखवाले तीखे क्षुरप्रद्धारा विजयके लिये प्रयत्न करनेवाले बलवान धृष्टकेतुके धनुषको बीचसे ही काट दिया
tasya droṇo dhanuḥmadhye kṣurapreṇa śitena ca | cakarta gārdhrapatreṇa yatamānasya śuṣmiṇaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: As the mighty Dhṛṣṭaketu strove for victory, Droṇa, with a razor-headed, keen arrow feathered like a vulture, struck and severed his bow at the very middle. In the moral atmosphere of the war, the act shows the teacher-warrior’s mastery and tactical intent: to disable an opponent’s means of fighting rather than merely to kill, asserting control through skill amid the relentless demands of dharma-yuddha.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, power is ideally guided by restraint and precision: disabling an adversary’s weapon can be a controlled, skill-based way to gain advantage, reflecting the disciplined ethos expected in a dharma-oriented battle.
Sañjaya reports that Droṇa shoots a sharp razor-headed arrow and cuts Dhṛṣṭaketu’s bow in the middle while Dhṛṣṭaketu is vigorously pressing for victory.