Shloka 963
निर्भिद्य विविशुस्तूर्ण वल्मीकमिव पन्नगा: । माननीय नरेश! जैसे सर्प तुरंत ही बाँबीमें घुस जाते हैं, उसी प्रकार वे बाण द्रोणपुत्रके गलेकी हँसलीको छेदकर भीतर समा गये
sañjaya uvāca | nirbhidya viviśus tūrṇaṃ valmīkam iva pannagāḥ |
Sañjaya said: “Having pierced through, those arrows swiftly entered in—like serpents slipping at once into an anthill. In the same way, they broke through the collarbone region at Droṇa’s son’s throat and disappeared within.” The image underscores the ruthless precision of battle: weapons, once released, move with an almost instinctive inevitability, and the body becomes the immediate field where the consequences of wrath and martial resolve are realized.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the immediacy of karmic consequence in war: once violence is set in motion, it proceeds with relentless certainty. The simile of snakes entering an anthill conveys how swiftly and naturally lethal force finds its mark, reminding the listener of the grave ethical weight carried by martial action.
Sañjaya describes arrows that pierce through and enter swiftly, comparing them to serpents entering an anthill. The accompanying sense is that the arrows penetrate the throat/collarbone region of Droṇa’s son (Aśvatthāmā) and lodge inside, emphasizing the intensity and brutality of the combat scene.