Shloka 29

द्रोणपर्व — अध्याय १६२: प्रातःसंध्यायां युद्धप्रवृत्तिः तथा रजोमेघे संमूढता

Devanagari script

ते तु पद्धक्तीकृता द्रौणिं शरा विविशुराशुगा: । रुक्मपुड्खा: प्रसन्नाग्रा: सर्वकायावदारणा:

Transliteration

te tu paddhaktīkṛtā drauṇiṁ śarā viviśur āśugāḥ | rukmapuḍkhāḥ prasannāgrāḥ sarvakāyāvadāraṇāḥ ||

Translation

ಸುವ್ಯವಸ್ಥಿತ ಸಾಲಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಬಿಡಲಾದ ಆ ವೇಗಶಾಲಿ ಬಾಣಗಳು ಕ್ಷಿಪ್ರವಾಗಿ ದ್ರೋಣಪುತ್ರ ಅಶ್ವತ್ಥಾಮನ ದೇಹದಲ್ಲಿ ನುಗ್ಗಿದವು. ಸ್ವರ್ಣಪಕ್ಷಗಳೂ ತೀಕ್ಷ್ಣ, ದೃಢ ಅಗ್ರಗಳೂಳ್ಳ ಅವು ಅವನ ಸರ್ವಾಂಗವನ್ನೂ ಚಿದ್ರಗೊಳಿಸಿದವು.

Word by Word

तेthey (those)

तुbut/indeed

पद्धक्तीकृताःmade into rows/arrayed in ranks

द्रौणिम्Drona's son (Aśvatthāman)

शराःarrows

विविशुःentered/pierced

आशुगाःswift/fast-moving

रुक्मपुङ्खाःhaving golden feathers (fletching)

प्रसन्नाग्राःwith bright/clear points

सर्वकायावदारणाःtearing/piercing the whole body

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Drauṇi (Aśvatthāman, son of Droṇa)

Śarāḥ (arrows)

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 underscores how disciplined technique and tactical order in war can magnify destructive power. It implicitly invites ethical reflection: excellence in skill (śaurya/śikṣā) is morally weighty because, when directed toward harm, it intensifies suffering and the consequences of conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a volley of swift, well-arranged arrows striking Droṇa’s son Aśvatthāman. The arrows, described as gold-fletched and sharp-pointed, pierce and rend his body, conveying the ferocity and precision of the ongoing battle.