Shloka 24

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 95 — Sātyaki’s Breakthrough and the Routing of Allied Contingents

Devanagari script

तौ च फाल्गुनबाणौघैर्विबाहुशिरसौ कृतौ । वसुधामन्वपद्येतां वातनुन्नाविव द्रुमी

Transliteration

tau ca phālgunabāṇaughair vibāhuśirasau kṛtau | vasudhām anvapadyetāṁ vātanunnāv iva drumī ||

Translation

サンジャヤは言った。「ファールグナ（アルジュナ）の放った密なる矢の雨に撃たれ、二人は腕も首も断たれた。やがて彼らは次々に大地へ倒れた。まるで烈風に薙ぎ倒される二本の樹のように。」

Word by Word

तौthose two

चand

फाल्गुन-बाण-ओघैःby torrents/volleys of Arjuna's arrows

विबाहु-शिरसौhaving their arms and heads cut off / deprived of arms and heads

कृतौmade; rendered

वसुधाम्the earth/ground

अन्वपद्येताम्they fell upon / they reached (the ground)

वात-नुन्नौdriven by the wind

इवlike; as if

द्रुमौtwo trees

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

स

संजय (Sañjaya)

फ

फाल्गुन / अर्जुन (Phālguna/Arjuna)

ब

बाण (arrows)

व

वसुधा (earth)

व

वात (wind)

द

द्रुम (trees)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the severe moral and human cost of war: extraordinary skill in battle can produce swift, irreversible destruction. Even when action aligns with warrior duty, the imagery urges sober awareness of violence’s consequences and the ethical burden carried by those who wield power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes two warriors being cut down by the overwhelming volleys of Arjuna’s arrows. Rendered headless and armless, they collapse to the ground, compared to two trees felled by strong wind.