Shloka 24
अध्याय ३१ — द्रोणानीके तुमुलसंग्रामः
The Tumultuous Battle around Droṇa’s Formation
स प्लुतः स्यन्दनात्तस्मान्नीलश्चर्मवरासि भृत् । द्रौणायने: शिर: कायाद्धतुमैच्छत् पतत्रिवत्,तब नील ढाल और सुन्दर तलवार हाथमें लेकर उस रथसे कूद पड़े। जैसे पक्षी किसी मनचाही वस्तुको लेनेके लिये झपट्टा मारता है, उसी प्रकार नीलने भी अश्व॒त्थामाके धड़से उसका सिर उतार लेनेका विचार किया
sa plutaḥ syandanāt tasmān nīlaś carma-varāsi-bhṛt | drauṇāyaneḥ śiraḥ kāyād dhatum aicchat patatrivat ||
Sañjaya said: Then Nīla, bearing a shield and a fine sword, leapt down from that chariot. Like a bird swooping to seize its desired prey, he sought to strike off Aśvatthāman’s head from his body—an act driven by the ruthless urgency of battle, where valor and violence press against the boundaries of dharma.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the intensity of battlefield resolve—how a warrior’s single-minded aim (to fell a formidable opponent) can surge like a predator’s swoop. Ethically, it points to the tension in war between kṣatriya valor and the ever-present question of dharma: even justified combat can slide toward ruthless fixation.
Sañjaya describes Nīla leaping from his chariot with shield and sword and attempting to behead Aśvatthāman (Droṇa’s son), likening Nīla’s sudden attack to a bird swooping down on its target.