Shloka 326
Droṇa–Dhṛṣṭadyumna-yuddha (द्रोण-धृष्टद्युम्न-युद्धम्) — Tactical duel and allied interventions
प्रेषयामास समरे सो5स्य काये न्न्यमज्जत । तदनन्तर उस रणक्षेत्रमें उन्होंने द्वितीय कालदण्डके समान अत्यन्त भयंकर बाण चलाया। वह बाण धूृष्टद्युम्नके शरीरमें धँस गया
sañjaya uvāca | preṣayāmāsa samare so 'sya kāye nyamajjata | tad-anantaraṃ raṇakṣetre te dvitīya-kāladaṇḍa-samam atyanta-bhayaṅkaraṃ bāṇam acālayat | sa bāṇo dhṛṣṭadyumnasya śarīre dhaṃs gataḥ |
Sañjaya berkata: Di tengah pertempuran dia melepaskan satu peluru, lalu ia tertancap ke dalam tubuhnya. Sejurus selepas itu, di medan perang, dia melepaskan anak panah yang amat menggerunkan—bagaikan tongkat kedua Maut sendiri. Anak panah itu menembusi dan terbenam pada jasad Dṛṣṭadyumna, menambah kelamnya arus peperangan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the Mahābhārata’s stark portrayal of war: once dharma has collapsed into armed conflict, death becomes an ever-present moral horizon. The simile of the 'rod of Death' highlights the inevitability and gravity of lethal action, reminding readers that martial prowess carries irreversible ethical consequences.
Sañjaya reports that a combatant fires an arrow that penetrates and lodges in the body, and then another extremely fearsome arrow—likened to a second staff of Death—strikes Dhṛṣṭadyumna and embeds in him, marking a severe blow amid the ongoing battle.