Shloka 17
द्रोणपर्व — द्विनवति-तमोऽध्यायः
Sātyaki Pressed by Kauravas; Duryodhana and Kṛtavarmā Engagements
ते गजा विशिखैस्ती&णैर्युधि गाण्डीवचोदितै: । अनेकशतसाहसी: सर्वाज्भिषु समर्पिता:
te gajā viśikhaiḥ tīkṣṇair yudhi gāṇḍīva-coditaiḥ | aneka-śata-sāhasīḥ sarvān bhiṣu samarpitāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: In that battle, those elephants were struck by sharp arrows, driven forth from the Gāṇḍīva. Even the most daring—men of hundreds of exploits—were all delivered over to destruction, overwhelmed by that onslaught.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the overwhelming force of disciplined martial skill: even the bravest can be brought down when confronted by superior strategy and weaponry. Ethically, it reflects the grim reality of kṣatriya warfare—valor alone does not guarantee survival, and battle rapidly turns living strength into ruin.
Sañjaya describes a moment in the Drona Parva where elephants on the battlefield are pierced by sharp arrows shot from the Gāṇḍīva (Arjuna’s bow). The assault is so intense that even exceptionally daring warriors are effectively neutralized and consigned to defeat.