Shloka 4
संदधे कार्मुके तस्मिंस्ततस्तमनलोपमम् | द्रोणं जिघांसु: पाउ्चाल्यो महाज्वालमिवानलम्,उन पांचालपुत्रने द्रोणाचार्यके वधकी इच्छा रखकर सुदृढ़ प्रत्यंचासे युक्त, मेघगर्जनाके समान गम्भीर ध्वनि करनेवाले, कभी जीर्ण न होनेवाले, भयंकर तथा विजयशील दिव्य धनुष हाथमें लेकर उसके ऊपर विषधर सर्पके समान भयदायक और प्रचण्ड लपटोंवाले अग्निके तुल्य तेजस्वी एक बाण रखा
saṃdadhe kārmuke tasmiṃs tatas tam analopamam | droṇaṃ jighāṃsuḥ pāñcālyo mahājvālam ivānalam ||
Sañjaya said: Then the son of Pāñcāla, intent on slaying Droṇa, set upon that bow an arrow blazing like fire—like a great-flamed conflagration. The scene underscores the grim momentum of battle: personal resolve and vengeance drive the warrior’s aim, even against a revered teacher, as the war’s ethics tighten into the harsh logic of survival and retribution.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, intention (jighāṃsā—desire to kill) and emotion can dominate action, pressing dharma into a severe, conflict-driven form where even a revered teacher becomes a target. It invites reflection on the moral cost of vengeance and the tragic narrowing of ethical choices in battle.
Sañjaya describes Dṛṣṭadyumna (the Pāñcāla prince) preparing to strike Droṇa: he fits a fire-like, blazing arrow onto his bow, signaling an imminent, decisive attack against Droṇa on the battlefield.