Shloka 21
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 19 — Saṃśaptaka–Trigarta Assault and Aindra-astra Counter
मर्मभेदिभिरत्युग्रैर्बाणैरग्निशिखोपमै: । स्मयन्नभ्यहनद् द्रौणि: पाण्ड्यमाचार्यसत्तम:,तब आचार्यप्रवर अश्वत्थामाने अत्यन्त भयंकर तथा अग्निशिखाके समान तेजस्वी मर्मभेदी बाणोंद्वारा पाण्ड्यनरेशको मुसकराते हुए घायल कर दिया
marmabhedibhir atyugrair bāṇair agniśikhopamaiḥ | smayann abhyahanad drauṇiḥ pāṇḍyam ācāryasattamaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then the foremost of teachers, Aśvatthāman (son of Droṇa), smiling, struck the king of Pāṇḍya with exceedingly fierce, vital-piercing arrows that blazed like tongues of fire—an image of the ruthless intensity of battle where skill and cruelty can appear side by side.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral tension of war: extraordinary martial skill can coexist with a disturbing emotional detachment (smiling while inflicting grievous wounds), prompting reflection on how dharma is strained and tested in battlefield conduct.
Sañjaya reports that Aśvatthāman, famed as Droṇa’s son and a leading warrior, attacks the Pāṇḍya king, wounding him with extremely fierce arrows described as piercing vital points and blazing like fire.