Shloka 25
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 19 — Saṃśaptaka–Trigarta Assault and Aindra-astra Counter
दिव्यं धनुरथाधिज्यं कृत्वा द्रौणिरमित्रहा । प्रेक्ष्य चाशु रथे युक्तान् नरैरन्यान् हयोत्तमान्,तब शत्रुसूदन द्रोणपुत्र विप्रवर अश्वत्थामाने अपने दिव्य धनुषपर प्रत्यंचा चढ़ाकर तथा यह भी देखकर कि मेरे रथमें सेवकोंने शीघ्र ही दूसरे उत्तम घोड़े लाकर जोत दिये हैं, सहस्रों बाण छोड़े तथा आकाश और दिशाओंको अपने बाणोंसे खचाखच भर दिया
divyaṁ dhanur athādhijyaṁ kṛtvā drauṇir amitrahā | prekṣya cāśu rathe yuktān narair anyān hayottamān |
Sañjaya said: Then Drauṇi (Aśvatthāmā), the slayer of foes, having strung his divine bow, and seeing that other excellent horses had swiftly been yoked to his chariot by the attendants, let fly a torrent of arrows, filling the sky and the quarters with his shafts—an image of martial prowess unleashed without restraint amid the escalating violence of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how swiftly prepared resources and heightened resolve can unleash overwhelming force in war; ethically, it underscores the Mahābhārata’s recurring warning that martial excellence, when driven by anger and rivalry, accelerates destruction and deepens the chain of consequences.
Sañjaya reports that Aśvatthāmā (Drauṇi) strings his divine bow, notices that fresh excellent horses have been quickly harnessed to his chariot by attendants, and then releases a massive volley of arrows that seems to fill the sky and all directions.