Shloka 32
दुर्योधन-कर्ण-संवादः
Duryodhana–Karna Dialogue on Vyūha-bheda and Daiva
तामापतन्तीमालोक्य कालरात्रिमिवोद्यताम्,वह गदा लोहेकी बनी हुई और भारी थी। उसमें सोने जड़े हुए थे, उसे उठी हुई कालरात्रिके समान अपने ऊपर गिरती देख द्रोणाचार्यने कई हजार पैने बाणोंसे उसके टुकड़े-टकड़े कर दिये
sañjaya uvāca | tām āpatantīm ālokya kālarātrim ivodyatām, lohamayīṃ gurvīṃ gadām hema-niṣkair alaṅkṛtām | droṇācāryo 'pi tāṃ dṛṣṭvā sahasraśaḥ śitaiḥ śaraiḥ ciccheda bahudhā ||
Sanjaya said: Seeing that heavy iron mace, inlaid with gold, rushing down upon him like the upraised Night of Doom, Dronacharya, with thousands of keen arrows, shattered it into many pieces. The episode underscores how, amid the fury of war, mastery and alertness can neutralize even a seemingly irresistible blow—yet it also highlights the escalating destructiveness that overtakes righteous restraint on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights vigilance and disciplined skill in the face of sudden danger: even a catastrophic-looking strike can be countered through presence of mind and mastery. Ethically, it also reflects how war drives combatants toward increasingly lethal measures, testing the boundaries of restraint and dharma.
A heavy iron mace, ornamented with gold, is seen descending like the personified Night of Doom. Dronacharya responds instantly, firing thousands of sharp arrows that break the mace into fragments before it can land.