Shloka 57
Cakravyūha-saṃkalpaḥ, Saṃśaptaka-āhvānaṃ, Saubhadra-vikrīḍitam
Drona Parva, Adhyāya 32
ते निकृत्तायुधा: शूरा निर्विषा भुजगा इव
te nikṛttāyudhāḥ śūrā nirviṣā bhujagā iva
Sañjaya said: Those heroes, their weapons cut away, became like serpents whose venom has been removed—still formidable in form, yet deprived of the power by which they truly strike. The image underscores how, in war, prowess depends not only on courage but on the means and discipline that make courage effective.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that courage alone is not sufficient in conflict; effectiveness depends on the instruments and capacities that enable action. Ethically, it also evokes the pathos of warriors rendered powerless—suggesting how quickly battlefield status can shift from threat to vulnerability.
Sañjaya describes warriors who have been disarmed (their weapons cut away). He compares them to snakes that have lost their venom—still appearing dangerous, but no longer able to deliver their decisive harm.