Shloka 15
द्रोणपुत्रस्याग्नेयास्त्रप्रयोगः — अर्जुनस्य ब्राह्मास्त्रप्रतिघातः — व्यासोपदेशः
Aśvatthāmā’s Agneyāstra, Arjuna’s Brāhmāstra Counter, and Vyāsa’s Instruction
धृष्टद्युम्नं ततः कर्णो विव्याध दशभि: शरै: | पज्चभिद्रॉणपुत्रस्तु स्वयं द्रोणस्तु सप्तभि:,तदनन्तर धृष्टद्युम्मनको कर्णने दस, अभश्वत्थामाने पाँच और स्वयं द्रोणने सात बाण मारे
dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ tataḥ karṇo vivyādha daśabhiḥ śaraiḥ | pañcabhir droṇaputras tu svayaṃ droṇas tu saptabhiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then Karṇa struck Dhṛṣṭadyumna with ten arrows. Droṇa’s son (Aśvatthāman) pierced him with five, and Droṇa himself with seven. The passage underscores the relentless, coordinated violence of the battlefield, where prowess and loyalty to one’s side drive repeated assaults, even as the ethical weight of war accumulates through such acts.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim momentum of war: skilled warriors, bound by allegiance and kṣatriya expectations, intensify violence through coordinated attacks. It invites reflection on how duty in battle can conflict with broader ethical concerns about harm and escalation.
Sañjaya reports that Dhṛṣṭadyumna is targeted in succession: Karṇa hits him with ten arrows, Aśvatthāman with five, and Droṇa himself with seven—showing concentrated pressure on a key Pāṇḍava commander during the fighting.