Shloka 30
नारायणास्त्र-शमनं द्रौणि-प्रहारश्च
Pacification of the Nārāyaṇāstra and Drauni’s Renewed Assault
अथान्यद् धनुरादाय गौतमो रथिनां वर:
athānyad dhanur ādāya gautamo rathināṃ varaḥ
Sañjaya said: Then Gautama—foremost among chariot-warriors—took up another bow, ready to continue the fight with renewed resolve and skill amid the pressures of battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfastness and competence in the performance of one’s role in crisis: a warrior, even after loss or setback (implied by taking ‘another’ bow), regathers composure and continues his duty with discipline rather than despair.
In the midst of the Drona Parva battle narration, Sañjaya reports that Gautama, described as the foremost among chariot-fighters, takes up a different bow—suggesting a transition to renewed combat, possibly after a bow was damaged, lost, or set aside.