Shloka 76
आशीविषाभैविंशत्या पञ्चभिस्तु शितै: शरै: । चिच्छेद युगपद् द्रौणि: पडचविंशतिसायकान्,तब द्रोणकुमारने विषैले सर्पोंके समान पचीस तीखे बाणोंद्वारा एक साथ ही उनके पचीसों बाणोंको काट डाला
āśīviṣābhair viṁśatyā pañcabhiś ca śitaiḥ śaraiḥ | ciccheda yugapad drauṇiḥ pañcaviṁśati-sāyakān ||
Sañjaya said: Then Droṇa’s son (Aśvatthāmā), with twenty-five razor-sharp arrows, cut down in a single instant the opponent’s twenty-five shafts—swiftly neutralizing the attack in the relentless discipline of war, where skill and resolve decide the moment’s outcome.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya-world ethic of alertness and mastery: in battle, protection of one’s side depends on disciplined skill and timely action, not on rage alone. The serpent-simile underscores how lethal force must be met with equal precision and control.
Sañjaya narrates that Aśvatthāmā (Drauṇi) fires twenty-five sharp arrows and, in the same moment, slices through the opponent’s twenty-five incoming arrows, nullifying the attack at once.