Shloka 26
द्रोणपुत्रस्याग्नेयास्त्रप्रयोगः — अर्जुनस्य ब्राह्मास्त्रप्रतिघातः — व्यासोपदेशः
Aśvatthāmā’s Agneyāstra, Arjuna’s Brāhmāstra Counter, and Vyāsa’s Instruction
सोअन्यद् धनु: समादाय क्रोधरक्तेक्षण:श्वसन् । अभ्यद्रवच्छरौचैस्तं धृष्टद्युम्नं महाबलम्,क्रोधसे उसकी आँखें लाल हो रही थीं। वह दूसरा धनुष हाथमें लेकर लंबी साँस खींचता हुआ महाबली धृष्टद्युम्मकी ओर दौड़ा और उनपर बाण-समूहोंकी वर्षा करने लगा
so 'nyad dhanuḥ samādāya krodha-rakte-kṣaṇaḥ śvasan | abhyadravac charaughais taṃ dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ mahābalam ||
Sañjaya said: With eyes reddened by anger and breathing hard, he seized another bow and rushed at the mighty Dhṛṣṭadyumna, showering him with volleys of arrows. The scene underscores how wrath, once it takes hold, drives a warrior from measured judgment into relentless escalation on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical danger of krodha (anger): it visibly transforms perception (reddened eyes), agitates the body (hard breathing), and propels one into impulsive, intensified violence—suggesting that inner passions can overtake discernment even in a dharma-framed war.
Sañjaya describes a warrior taking up a second bow, charging directly at the powerful Dhṛṣṭadyumna, and attacking him with dense volleys of arrows.