Shloka 25
द्रोणस्य सुपर्णव्यूहः — युधिष्ठिरप्रत्यव्यूहः
Droṇa’s Suparṇa Formation and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Counter-array
तांस्तथा व्याकुलीकृत्य त्वरमाणो धनंजय: । जघान निशितैर्बाणै: सहस्राणि शतानि च,उन सबको व्याकुल करके अर्जुन अपने पैने बाणोंसे शीघ्रतापूर्वक उनके सौ-सौ और हजार-हजार योद्धाओंका एक साथ संहार करने लगे
tāṁs tathā vyākulīkṛtya tvaramāṇo dhanañjayaḥ | jaghāna niśitair bāṇaiḥ sahasrāṇi śatāni ca ||
Sañjaya said: Having thus thrown them into confusion, Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), acting with swift resolve, struck them down with his razor-sharp arrows—slaying warriors by the hundreds and by the thousands. The verse underscores the grim momentum of battle: tactical prowess and urgency drive mass destruction, raising the ethical weight of violence even when performed in a sanctioned war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between martial duty and the moral gravity of large-scale killing: even when action is swift and strategically effective, the human cost remains immense, inviting reflection on dharma in war.
Sañjaya reports that Arjuna, after unsettling the opposing fighters, rapidly shoots sharp arrows and begins cutting down enemy warriors in very large numbers—hundreds and thousands—showing a decisive surge in the battle.