Shloka 19
Droṇa-pātana-paripṛcchā (Inquiry into the Fall of Droṇa) | द्रोणपातनपरिपृच्छा
अथास्य धनुषो बाणा निश्चरन्त: सहस्रश: | व्याप्य सर्वा दिश: पेतुर्नागाश्वरथपत्तिषु,द्रोणाचार्यके धनुषसे सहस्रों बाण निकलकर सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंमें व्याप्त हो हाथी, घोड़े, रथ और पैदल सैनिकोंपर बड़े वेगसे गिरने लगे
athāsya dhanuṣo bāṇā niścarantaḥ sahasraśaḥ | vyāpya sarvā diśaḥ petur nāgāśvarathapattiṣu ||
Sañjaya said: Then, from his bow, arrows streamed forth by the thousand. Spreading through every direction, they fell with great force upon elephants, horses, chariots, and foot-soldiers—an overwhelming display of Droṇācārya’s martial power that intensifies the moral gravity of the battle’s destruction.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the catastrophic scale of war: extraordinary skill and power, when deployed in battle, multiplies suffering across all ranks. It invites reflection on the ethical weight of martial excellence when dharma is contested and lives are swept away indiscriminately.
Sañjaya describes Droṇācārya releasing a vast volley of arrows from his bow. The arrows spread in all directions and strike the opposing forces—elephants, cavalry, chariots, and infantry—signaling an intense escalation in the fighting.