Shloka 3
Cakravyūha-saṃkalpaḥ, Saṃśaptaka-āhvānaṃ, Saubhadra-vikrīḍitam
Drona Parva, Adhyāya 32
आनन्तर्यमभिप्रेप्सु: षड्विंशत्या समार्पयत् । कर्णो द्वादशभिर्बाणैरश्वृत्थामा च सप्तभि:,इस आधघात-प्रतिघातको निरन्तर जारी रखनेकी इच्छासे द्रोणाचार्यने भीमसेनको छब्बीस, कर्णने बारह और अश्व॒त्थामाने सात बाण मारे
ānantaryam abhiprepsuḥ ṣaḍviṃśatyā samārpayat | karṇo dvādaśabhir bāṇair aśvatthāmā ca saptabhiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Wishing to keep the exchange of blows unbroken, Droṇācārya struck Bhīmasena with twenty-six arrows; Karṇa with twelve; and Aśvatthāmā with seven. The battle is shown as a deliberate effort to sustain relentless pressure and continuity of attack, where prowess is measured by sustained, disciplined violence rather than a single decisive stroke.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how warfare in the epic is not merely impulsive aggression but sustained, intentional action: leaders maintain ‘ānantarya’ (continuity) to keep the opponent under constant pressure. Ethically, it reflects the grim logic of kṣatriya combat—discipline and strategy applied to violence—inviting reflection on how resolve and method can serve either dharma or mere victory-seeking depending on intent.
Sañjaya reports a moment in the battle where Bhīma is targeted in a coordinated, continuous assault. Droṇa shoots him with twenty-six arrows, Karṇa adds twelve, and Aśvatthāmā seven—showing a concerted effort by major Kaurava champions to check Bhīma’s momentum by keeping the exchange of strikes unbroken.