Shloka 26
Droṇavadha-saṃniveśaḥ — The Convergence Toward Droṇa’s Fall
Book 7, Chapter 164
तमापततन्तं वेगेन परिघं घोरदर्शनम् । द्विधा चिच्छेद समरे प्रहसन्निव कौरव:,समरांगणमें बड़े वेगसे आते हुए उस भयंकर परिघके कुरुवंशी सोमदत्तने हँसते हुए-से दो टुकड़े कर डाले
tam āpatatantaṁ vegena parighaṁ ghoradarśanam | dvidhā ciccheda samare prahasann iva kauravaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: As that dreadful, iron club—terrifying to behold—came hurtling in with great speed, the Kaurava (Somadatta) in the thick of battle, as if smiling, cleft it into two. The scene underscores the grim skill of war: courage and composure can turn even a fearsome weapon into something powerless, yet the very ease of destruction also reveals how battle normalizes violence and hardens the heart.
संजय उवाच