Mahabharata 7.47.16 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 47, Shloka 16
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 47 — Abhimanyu’s rapid exchanges, counsel to disable his chariot-system
स तु द्रौणिं त्रिसप्तत्या हेमपुड्खैरजिद्ागै: । प्रत्यविध्यन्महातेजा बलवानपकारिणम्,महातेजस्वी बलवान् अभिमन्युने सुवर्णमय पंखसे युक्त तिहत्तर बाणोंद्वारा अपने अपकारी अभश्र॒ृत्थामाको पुन: घायल कर दिया
sa tu drauṇiṁ trisaptatyā hemapuṅkhair ajidgaiḥ | pratyavidhyan mahātejā balavān apakāriṇam ||
സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അപ്പോൾ മഹാതേജസ്സും ബലവും ഉള്ള സൗഭദ്രൻ അഭിമന്യു സ്വർണ്ണപ്പുങ്ഖങ്ങളുള്ള എഴുപത്തിമൂന്ന് അമ്പുകളാൽ ദ്രൗണിയെ വീണ്ടും കുത്തിത്തുളച്ചു; തനിക്കുണ്ടായ അപകാരം യുദ്ധത്തിൽ തന്നെ തിരിച്ചടിക്കാനെന്നപോലെ॥
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse reflects the Mahābhārata’s war-ethic where injury invites immediate counter-injury; it highlights how kṣatriya duty in battle can normalize retaliation, while implicitly showing the moral cost of escalating violence.
Sañjaya narrates that a powerful warrior strikes Droṇa’s son (Aśvatthāmā) again, piercing him with seventy-three arrows adorned with golden fletching, as a retaliatory act against one who had harmed him.
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