Shloka 36
तोमरं पज्चभिर्भित्त्वा शक्ति चिच्छेद पठचभि: । तौ जम्मतुर्महीं छिन्नौ सर्पाविव गरुत्मता,द्रोणाचार्यने तोमरको पाँच बाणोंसे छिन्न-भिन्न करके पाँच बाणोंद्वारा धृष्टकेतुकी शक्तिके भी टुकड़े-टुकड़े कर दिये। वे दोनों अस्त्र गरुड़के द्वारा खण्डित किये हुए दो सर्पोंके समान पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़े
tomaraṃ pañcabhir bhittvā śaktiṃ ciccheda pañcabhiḥ | tau jagmatur mahīṃ chinnau sarpāv iva garutmātā ||
Sañjaya said: Having shattered the tomara with five arrows, Droṇācārya then cut Dhṛṣṭaketu’s śakti into pieces with another five. Both weapons, severed, fell to the earth like two serpents broken by Garuḍa—showing the swift, decisive mastery of arms that turns an opponent’s force into futility amid the relentless ethics of battlefield duty.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the battlefield principle that disciplined mastery and alertness can neutralize even formidable threats; within kṣatriya-dharma, skill is exercised decisively to protect one’s side and fulfill duty, while the imagery underscores how power can be rendered powerless when met by superior control.
Droṇācārya intercepts incoming weapons: he breaks a tomara with five arrows and then slices Dhṛṣṭaketu’s śakti into pieces with five more. The two severed weapons fall to the ground, compared to serpents crushed by Garuḍa.