Shloka 453
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena
अथ त्यक्त्वा धर्नुर्वीर: पार्षतं त्वरितोडन्वगात् । राजन! जब वीर द्रोणकुमार बाणोंद्वारा उनका वध न कर सका, तब वह धनुष फेंककर तुरंत ही धृष्टद्युम्नकी ओर दौड़ा
atha tyaktvā dhanur vīraḥ pārṣataṃ tvarito 'nvagāt | rājan, yadā vīraḥ droṇakumāraḥ bāṇair vadhāya na śaśāka, tadā sa dhanur nikṣipya tūrṇaṃ dhṛṣṭadyumnam abhidudrāva |
Sañjaya said: Then the warrior, casting aside his bow, swiftly ran after the son of Pṛṣata (Dhṛṣṭadyumna). O King, when the heroic son of Droṇa could not slay him with arrows, he threw down his bow and rushed at Dhṛṣṭadyumna at once—shifting from ranged combat to direct assault in the heat of battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how, in war, a warrior may abandon one method when it fails and immediately adopt another—here, shifting from archery to a direct charge. Ethically, it reflects the intensity of kṣatriya combat where determination to overcome an opponent can lead to escalation, raising questions about restraint versus resolve.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Aśvatthāmā, unable to kill Dhṛṣṭadyumna with arrows, throws down his bow and rushes after him, pursuing him swiftly for close combat.