Shloka 14
शरांश्ष शतधा तस्य द्रोणश्रविच्छेद सायकै: । ध्वजं धनुश्चव निशितै: सारथिं चाप्पपातयत्,इतना ही नहीं, द्रोणाचार्यने अपने तीखे बाणोंद्वारा धृष्टद्युम्मके बाण, ध्वज और धनुषके सैकड़ों टुकड़े कर डाले और सारथिको भी मार गिराया
sañjaya uvāca |
śarāṃś ca śatadhā tasya droṇaḥ śaraviccheda-sāyakaiḥ |
dhvajaṃ dhanuś caiva niśitaiḥ sārathiṃ cāpy apātayat ||
Sañjaya said: With razor-sharp arrows meant for severing shafts, Droṇa cut Dṛṣṭadyumna’s missiles into hundreds of pieces; then, with keen shafts, he struck down his banner and bow, and even felled his charioteer. The scene underscores the ruthless precision of battlefield skill, where mastery in arms can abruptly strip an opponent of protection, identity (banner), and agency (bow and driver), intensifying the moral weight of war’s relentless momentum.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, technical mastery can decisively disable an opponent by removing weapons, symbols of command (banner), and operational support (charioteer). Ethically, it points to the grim reality that prowess and strategy, once unleashed, can rapidly magnify harm and leave little room for restraint.
Sañjaya reports that Droṇa uses specialized, sharp arrows to slice Dṛṣṭadyumna’s incoming arrows into many fragments, then strikes down Dṛṣṭadyumna’s banner and bow, and finally fells his charioteer—effectively crippling his chariot-fighting capacity.