Shloka 45
Droṇavadha-saṃniveśaḥ — The Convergence Toward Droṇa’s Fall
Book 7, Chapter 164
चिच्छेद च भर्नुर्दीर्घ ब्राह्मणस्य च पाण्डव: । ततोथन्यद् धनुरादत्त द्रोण: क्षत्रियमर्दन:
ciccheda ca bharnur dīrghaṃ brāhmaṇasya ca pāṇḍavaḥ | tatothānyad dhanur ādatta droṇaḥ kṣatriyamardanaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: The Pāṇḍava cut the long bow of Droṇa, the Brāhmaṇa. Thereupon Droṇa—crusher of warriors—took up another bow. The scene underscores how, even amid relentless combat, mastery and resolve answer injury with renewed effort, and how the clash of duties (a Brāhmaṇa fighting as a Kṣatriya) intensifies the moral tension of the war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Steadfastness under adversity: when one’s weapon or advantage is broken, the disciplined warrior does not collapse into anger or despair but responds with composure and renewed effort—an ethical ideal of self-mastery amid violence.
In the battle, a Pāṇḍava severs Droṇa’s long bow. Droṇa immediately takes up another bow, showing his continued readiness and prowess as the fight escalates.